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Post by Joe M on Nov 8, 2013 17:11:13 GMT -5
   They are around and moving around. Had a couple new arrivals but no idea if they are here for the winter or just passing by! The adult male is new as of yesterday and has started his winter gorget molt. Immature male showed up yesterday as well. Female has been here for a month. Joe M. Lakeland, FL |
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eli
New Member
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Post by eli on Nov 18, 2013 14:14:32 GMT -5
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Post by Joe M on Nov 18, 2013 15:07:29 GMT -5
'eli,
This is not that uncommon to see hummers that have an injured bill. Some are the result of "window strikes" , some result from becoming temporarily trapped by flying into screens (pool or porch)!
My guess is the bill abrasions on your hummer would indicated severe damage to his bill from extracting himself from a screen.
My opinion is that this will result in his having difficulty feeding in a normal manner. Unfortunately I would put his chances of survival at about 50/50.
They often find a way and many seem to cope, hope this one will.
Joe M.
Lakeland
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Post by moboston on Jan 6, 2014 19:43:41 GMT -5
Got these two pictures today. The adult male has been here for over a month. He is molting and looks pretty ragged. He is very dark overall and uses feeders and plants. The other came last week and is either an immature male or female. I have seen it at the Coral Porterweed but not at feeders. Attachments:
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Post by Joe M on Apr 12, 2014 9:11:55 GMT -5
The winter season has been over in my yard for over a week now. I have not seen a hummer in more than a week now.
Expect to have a few (very few) maybe one or two occassionaly in the yard as the summer hummers roam the area but they will be scarce until the fall.
Still keep a feeder up just in case a hummer that knows what they are stops by.
This has been the normal pattern for the past 20 years.
Joe M.
Lakeland
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Post by Joe M on May 21, 2014 12:06:03 GMT -5
Well, well!
At 11:50 AM I spotted the first hummer I've seen in the yard since the first week of April.
Was feeding at one of my Fire Bushes (actually the size of a small tree).
No idea as to sex or species, but it was nice to see one in the yard. He/she was probably wandering about in the area and decided to take a sip or two from a few of the many blooms available.
Joe M.
Lakeland
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Post by Joe M on Jun 6, 2014 12:18:47 GMT -5
Back again if its the same bird and this time (yesterday AM) had two chasing each other around. This is the one that had the upper hand (adult Female Ruby-throated)! The other may have been an immature or another female, never got a photo.  Joe M. Lakeland |
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Post by mvbartow on Jun 8, 2014 12:11:55 GMT -5
  I had my annual lone female Ruby-throated return this year. She has been here since the first of the year. I thought maybe she was getting too old to migrate? This morning she got chased away several times by a white butterfly. |
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Post by marthaloul on Jul 4, 2014 17:29:11 GMT -5
I am very excited to report that I just had 3 hummers chasing each other around the firecracker plant and pink pentas! Wish I had the photos you all get but am glad to have the birds!
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Post by bruce waddell on Jul 17, 2014 22:11:06 GMT -5
I'm glad to see that we have hummingbirds in polk county.I visited some friends in Arkansas and they had a hummingbird feeder by their livingroom window and there would be 3 or 4 birds feeding.so I bought a hummingbird feeder and I'm going to hang it in backyard in bartow. I was told tomake sugar water for the feeder.
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Post by Joe M on Oct 5, 2015 16:08:29 GMT -5
 Its been some time since I posted on this thread. Back in FL after our summer in the northeast (MA), and I'm glad we drove through SC before the rains came in that area. Devastating amount of rain and my thoughts are with the residents faced with putting their lives together after the flooding they have experienced, heartbreaking! It took a day to see my first hummer and have now have about 3 or 4 in the yard (all ruby-throated), some at the feeders, others just using the flowers. |
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Post by Joe M on Oct 9, 2015 5:38:34 GMT -5
Seem to be observing about 4 hummers just about every day now! 2 adult males and 2 immature, all Ruby-throated. The adults are visiting my little bottle feeders while the immature birds are only visiting flowers. Might take the youngsters a while to "learn" that artificial feeders contain something worth tasting.
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Post by mvbartow on Jan 6, 2016 7:35:52 GMT -5
I've had nothing all year long, not even my lone female that used to show up every winter. Still hoping for some visitors to south Alturas before the winter is over.
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Post by Joe M on Jan 7, 2016 16:19:31 GMT -5
mvbartow,
I hope you do see a few before the winter is over but you are not alone in experiencing a lack of winter hummingbirds.
Add me to list of having very few hummers in my yard this winter. For the past 2 months I have rarely seen more than 2, less than half the number we have normaly seen for more than 20 years. In previous years its always been 5-7 and always at least 4 or 5!
It seems most observers are reporting "very" few hummers this winter. No explanations from the experts thus far but I'm sure there will be many!
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