posted
You can leave them out all year for those rare western hummingbird individuals that decide toWinter over in the East but a good time to put them out is the first to middle of April. Hummingbirds come most often and in the largest numbers around the first to middle of July, AFTER their young have fledged and left the nest and will frequent feeders until they migrate in September or October.
* * * * A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess. Plants: 2894 | From: Nashville, TN | Registered: May 2005
| Seeded: 74.249.199.111
posted
Just a hint--I tried some of the pretty copper feeders and my hummers wouldn't have anything to do with them. I stick with the ones that have red plastic bottoms and get LOADS of hummers (I have several strung across my front porch and all stay very busy!). A benefit to the red plastic ones (with glass at the top) is that they are inexpensive (Wal Mart has them). Also, you don't have to buy the expensive hummer mixes--just use sugar and water (but don't add red food coloring-it's not good for the birds).
posted
Well said, Nature Lover! The cheaper the feeder, the better they like it. It is IMPORTANT to have red ON The feeder, but NOT in the nectar. The nectar should be CLEAR and should be made of one part table sugar to four parts tap water. I stir the sugar/water mixture up, heat it in the microwave for ONE minute, stir again until ALL the sugar is dissolved and then fill my feeders. The extra nectar I store in a jug or 2 liter drink bottle in the fridge. Clean your feeders and change the nectar every three days or when the hummers empty them. As an extra incentive to the hummers I planted my entire flower beds with nothing but RED flowers. My neighbor gave me 30 red Cannas that REALLY brought the hummers in. I am going to do the same thing this year. Check Walmart, Dollar General Store, Big Lots, or perhaps Dollar Tree for your feeders. Walmart had small hummer feeders for $2.50 each last year and Big Lots had small ones for $1.00 and the big ones for $2.00. My hummers loved these cheap feeders.
* * * * A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess. Plants: 2894 | From: Nashville, TN | Registered: May 2005
| Seeded: 74.249.199.111
posted
The first hummer was reported in Louisiana on February 25th of last year. Cindy (afgreyparrot) gaves us this site last year and I just love it. It is called Hummingbirds.net and has a map of the U.S. and Canada showing the first reports of each hummingbird as they arrive. These maps only cover the Eastern U.S. and Canada and are only for reporting Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds but are very useful nonetheless. Here is a link to the site.
posted
Thanks Thornius!! I have 2 feeders that I bought at the end of last year. I will try to put them out in early April!! I can't wait!! I hope I get some hummers!
* * * * Monica
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away."
God gave us memories so we can have roses in the winter. Plants: 304 | From: Beaufort, SC | Registered: Jul 2006
| Seeded: 64.203.199.254
posted
I have lived at this house for five years. For the first four years I got ONE hummer only each year. Last year, by adding the red Cannas, I had FOUR hummers beginning the first of July. All of my hummers were females.
Red Canna
One of Thorn's Hummers
* * * * A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess. Plants: 2894 | From: Nashville, TN | Registered: May 2005
| Seeded: 70.149.128.126
posted
Last year I got my first hummer the middle of May. I only had one feeder out but will be adding more this year as I always had 8 hummers hanging around the feeder at one time! They were chasing each other away all the time so I decide that I need to add more feeders! I was surprised that I got one so early in the year with our cold climate. But, I won't complain. I also just fill them with sugar water and don't add any red color. I had a pot of red wave petunias on the deck last year and they hummers were always out by them! This year I plan to add more red flowers around my yard!
* * * * All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism. Plants: 5156 | From: Minnesota | Registered: Mar 2006
| Seeded: 63.225.148.86
loz
guest
posted
I think I'm up to 5 feeders now! I could sit and watch them all day!
I also read that if you use 10x sugar that you don't have to boil it because it's so fine already, so I started doing that and it's worked great.
Seeded: 68.236.255.165
posted
I jealous Thornius!!! I miss the snow. It doesn't snow here, just rains!! I've got my two feeders out I plan to buy another one. I also plan on putting out Red Cannas and some hanging baskets & containers of wave petunia's anything else red I come across that I can work in. I have some Star gazer lilies, do you think they will like them or are they too low to the ground?
* * * * Monica
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away."
God gave us memories so we can have roses in the winter. Plants: 304 | From: Beaufort, SC | Registered: Jul 2006
| Seeded: 64.203.199.254
posted
I used red Salvia and red Verbena last year but the hummers semed to like my red Lilliput Zinnias the best. I also got six red Gladiolus bulbs for $1.00 at the DollarTree that were absolutely beautiful!
* * * * A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess. Plants: 2894 | From: Nashville, TN | Registered: May 2005
| Seeded: 74.249.198.140
posted
Oh you guys are making me want Spring NOW! lol I've never had any luck with attracting hummers here even though I've had feeders out frequently. Maybe this yr will be the yr.
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I also just fill them with sugar water and don't add any red color. I had a pot of red wave petunias on the deck last year and they hummers were always out by them! This year I plan to add more red flowers around my yard! 
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I could sit and watch them all day!
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