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Post by spooky55 on Apr 30, 2013 7:35:11 GMT -5
Hello everyone, My question is :what area does this include? I live in west central Florida Pinellas county. Am I covered? spooky55
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Post by Joe M on Apr 30, 2013 13:09:14 GMT -5
I would assume you are covered.
Joe M.
Lakeland
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Post by dellea on May 22, 2013 11:31:18 GMT -5
Am new. Would like to LEARN. How breed nest feed ect. General but more in depth. Citrus county. Been siteing black withgeen, blue, or red throats. Thank u dellea
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Post by marthaloul on May 28, 2013 16:17:57 GMT -5
Had a FRT in the agapanthus this morning.
Off Ewell on Poley Creek in Lakeland.
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Post by lilyopath on May 30, 2013 13:07:57 GMT -5
Two RT hummers at least in south Lakeland...one was for sure a female
Two RT hummes on Anna Maria Island...one was male; the other was female.
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Post by lilyopath on Jun 2, 2013 20:01:39 GMT -5
Maybe four or five RT hummers and at least one a mature male sighted in South Lakeland today. Lots of hummer activity all day long.
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Post by psales264 on Jun 18, 2013 21:23:06 GMT -5
Wife and I are moving to Zephyrhills later this year, we feed HB's in Central NY in the summer. We plan to bring our feeders with us. Maybe we will attract some this spring
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Post by Steve Backes on Jun 18, 2013 22:04:31 GMT -5
Hummingbirds can be found in the Zephyrhills area throughout the year. They can be very local, in one neighborhood and not the next. Breeding birds will migrate south in the fall as wintering birds migrate in and the wintering birds will head north in the spring as the breeders migrate back. Resident birds are not guaranteed but a little luck and some landscaping including feeders will improve your chances.
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Post by Joe M on Jun 19, 2013 13:38:35 GMT -5
psales,
I am one of those lucky or unlucky hummer lovers.
My experience a bit south of you is to expect more activity during the winter months, Sep-Mar. I rarely have many hummers in the summer as I have in the winter here in Lakeland. In NY and New England 99% of the activity is in the summer months, and they are in abundance in some areas including my summer place in MA.
50-100 on most days in June, July and early Aug.
Not the same here in central FL. Most are passing through in the spring and the fall and very few stay in the summer to breed and maybe on balance we are getting more that have given up making the migratory trip across the Gulf and decide to spend the winter here (our over wintering birds). Thats my impression from decades of observation.
We do have one big plus in FL. We can expect to see some of the western hummers that only rarely visit the North East. Rufous, Black-chinned, Buff-bellied also Calliope and Allens among a few more less likely species. I have had five here in Lakeland and one of the reasons I think others should concentrate their hummer efforts during the winter months.
I rarely put my feeders out after about mid April, but wouldn't miss a month in the winter.
Have a lot of hummer fun!
Joe M.
Lakeland, FL
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Post by marthaloul on Jun 25, 2013 19:32:25 GMT -5
I had a male hummer visit the red shrimp plant for a little while this evening and then rest on a limb from the cuphea. After a little rest he hovered over our pool, flew to the youpon, back to the pool and then off to another part of the garden where I couldn't see him. His throat was really bright red!
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Post by patrick1128 on Jun 28, 2013 19:28:20 GMT -5
New to this.
Are there HB in St.
Pete?
Please advise , thanks
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Post by slywlf on Aug 25, 2013 16:47:48 GMT -5
Hi - another new member. I just bought property in Brooksville - a couple miles inland from the Gulf, and a bit north of Tampa. Coming from the NY Catskills where I have been buying sugar at Sam's Club by the 50 pound sack to keep up with the RT demands I joined because I am curious what I can expect in my new home. It is a rather rural area with lots of foliage, and I can easily plant attractive flowers where they can see them to get them to the feeders, but I was totally unsure how many and what kind might I be likely to see. All those species! Wow! I have felt so blessed by my ever expanding flock of ruby throats - coming back year after year and giving ne what-for if I don't hang 'their' feeder where they remember it - cheeky devils ;-) I saw the note above about winter being the best time, which I understand, and since I am going to be moving just in time for that season I shall certainly put my feeders up promptly. My next question - is a shallow water feature a good draw if there is no natural creek nearby?
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Post by coldfield on Sept 13, 2013 19:13:59 GMT -5
I am also in Pinellas County-Dunedin. I got my first sighting about a year ago but have had 2 sightings this week-both hummingbirds flew into my back porch and got stuck. The only new plant to my back porch is a plumeria-is there a possiblity that's what they are interested in? Nothing else back there that would appeal to them. I'm both ecited and curious as to why all of a sudden I have them so close that they would fly into the open door of a screened-in porch.
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Post by floridagardener on Sept 16, 2013 21:05:31 GMT -5
coldfield - It is possible that there is something red on your porch. I have heard of hummers flying into a garage because of the red handle pull on garage doors visible when the garage door is up. Check around on your porch to see if there is anything red or orange.
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Post by coldfield on Sept 17, 2013 18:51:19 GMT -5
It could be the big yellow Arm & Hammer bottle I use for water and fertilizer! I left it on the table, I bet that's what they saw. It's the only brightly colored anything back there. I never would have even thought of that!
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Post by coldfield on Sept 28, 2013 19:43:13 GMT -5
I had two more HB sightings tonight in Dunedin-one was in my back porch (again) but a few minutes after I let him out I found two hovering my butterfly plants. One disappeared but the other stuck around and hovered on the Porterweed. I got a good look at the one and it's definitely a HB and even though it flew around the other plants I have, it seemed to favor the porterweed for several minutes before it took off. I can't identify them due to lack of light (they only seem to show at dusk) but it looked like it had a redish kind of color it.
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Post by tiggerpat on Jul 7, 2014 9:00:25 GMT -5
Saw an adult female ruby throated HB in Crystal River!! See her daily, as well as an adult male ruby throated HB, too!!
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denna
New Member
Posts: 1 
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Post by denna on Oct 26, 2014 15:10:33 GMT -5
Had a FRT in the agapanthus this morning. Off Ewell on Poley Creek in Lakeland. I have them also and I live between Hallam Dr and Lake Miriam. I think I have three ! |
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Post by heatlee on Feb 10, 2015 12:13:32 GMT -5
I just moved to Spring Hill...is this considered central Florida as well?
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Post by Steve Backes on Feb 10, 2015 21:07:15 GMT -5
Heatlee, Yes. I would consider Central Florida to include roughly from Gainesville/Ocala to Ft. Myers.
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Post by heatlee on Feb 10, 2015 23:14:27 GMT -5
Thank you Steve! I have never had a feeder here in Florida, thought I saw a hummer a few weeks ago. Put the feeder up today. Does Florida have hummers all year? How long till I may see my first bird? Thanks in advance!
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Post by Steve Backes on Feb 11, 2015 6:40:29 GMT -5
They can be found year round - very local during winter. They're more common during migrations. Spring migration begins late February/early March.
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Post by JRW on Mar 22, 2016 7:21:56 GMT -5
I hung a hummingbird feeder out in Terra Vista of Citrus Hills near Hernando FL about a week ago. So far, nothing. I lived in the Florida Keys for 14 years before moving here recently . . . only saw ONE hummer in all that time. We lived in Los Alamos New Mexico for 7 years and we had clouds of the little critters, and I really miss them. I made a couple of YouTube videos of the hummers I saw in southern colorado - example www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVcsrIUe7vs - I was hoping to do something similar with the hummers in Florida. |
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Post by Smitten on Mar 25, 2016 20:28:44 GMT -5
From N. Florida, visiting the Kississimee area and staying at the Wyndham Grand in Bonnet Creek area. Walking on the grounds and a male Hummer was darting along about 6PM visiting some Firecracker/Coral plants after a bad storm. He definitely had a red patch on the throat, but not sure if he was a RT or a Broad Tailed, my impression was that the red was only on the front, with the rest being a nice green. I was born in FL, but rarely see them here.
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Post by Kimelaine on Oct 23, 2016 17:51:18 GMT -5
Any sightings of hummers in Kissimmee near Shingle Creek? Just moved there and put impatience hanging basket for hummers.
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Post by Joe M on Oct 25, 2016 14:12:30 GMT -5
Any sightings of hummers in Kissimmee near Shingle Creek? Just moved there and put impatience hanging basket for hummers. Very pretty plant but not a plant that produces nectar so its unlikely to attract hummers other than a one time cursory look. I currently have 4 hummers that have been around since late Sep., 3 Adult males and an immature male (all Ruby-throated). Many others here in Lakeland have hummers they are seeing which is typical this time of the year. Most northern states have seen their last Ruby-throats for the season as this years migration is nearing its end and from this point through our winter months many will be blessed by (over wintering hummers). Having a mix of winter flowering plants and a few well maintained feeders up, will improve your chances of attracting some of the hummers that decide that FL is a good place to spend the winter rather than expending the energy required to continue all the way to central America. Best of luck in attracting hummers and keep an eye out, they are not the easiest bird to spot unless your looking for them! |
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Post by Kristen hummer fan on Oct 29, 2016 13:14:25 GMT -5
It's 10/29/16 nearing Halloween and refilled the feeders with no results. Haven't seen them since before a month long trip away and hadn't asked for them to be tended. My mistake, bcuz there's not a hummer in sight. With no blooming plants at this time of year, even if they didn't migrate, I'd assume they travelled southward to expand their opportunities for food resources. Miss them already. I see on a few websites that there are 2 other kinds of HB's that stay in Florida year round. Any chance in The Gainesville, FL area that if I maintain my feeders with 'nectar' that I'll be helping any kind of Hummer? Let us know!! THX-
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Post by Joe M on Oct 30, 2016 10:06:55 GMT -5
It's 10/29/16 nearing Halloween and refilled the feeders with no results. Haven't seen them since before a month long trip away and hadn't asked for them to be tended. My mistake, bcuz there's not a hummer in sight. With no blooming plants at this time of year, even if they didn't migrate, I'd assume they travelled southward to expand their opportunities for food resources. Miss them already. I see on a few websites that there are 2 other kinds of HB's that stay in Florida year round. Any chance in The Gainesville, FL area that if I maintain my feeders with 'nectar' that I'll be helping any kind of Hummer? Let us know!! THX- Regardless of the "other" websites, Kristen, there is only one hummingbird recorded in FL on a "year-round" basis and that is the Ruby-throated. It is not unusual to see western hummers during the winter in FL, as "uncommon" wintering birds. Rufous and Black-chinned being most often reported. And maintaining a feeder during the winter will help them if they pass through your yard and the Gainesville area usually has a few Rufous, Black-chinned and Ruby-throat reported, Nov.-Feb. |
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Post by NancyB on Apr 9, 2017 16:31:17 GMT -5
Bought dollar store HB feeder and made some nectar....just to see. Been in Miami for 40 years, never saw 1 HB.
Moved to Ocala, and now seeing a lot. The red throat HB. I'm so excited! Going to buy more feeders!
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Post by Tammie g on Apr 1, 2018 18:47:28 GMT -5
I've lived in central Florida for 39 years and have never seen a humming bird
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