Types of hummingbird feeders.

Revelation! After close observation and the use of several types of feeders I have learned that hummingbirds prefer to perch while drinking the nectar when they have the option. During the 2+ weeks of migration I have 30+ hummingbirds feeding from multiple feeders. I had 2 that had no perch for them to rest while drinking and ONE feeder they could sit while drinking. Well that ONE feeder got drained in 2 days while BOTH of the other feeders still had over half, even though they were put out at the same time. So I devised a way to make a perch for them made of pipe cleaners. After I made them a way to sit while drinking they quickly drained them. Yes, everything else was equal, the only difference was that on the 2 feeders they had to fly to drink and on the other one they could sit. When I made a place for them to sit on the other 2 feeders they used them WAY more. Over the years you need to replace old and fading feeders especially the plastic feeders. But when you are ready to buy new feeders keep in mind that they prefer the ones they can perch while drinking. So if you want more birds try sticking to the feeders that have a perch for them to sit on. Or do as I did and make a perch using pipe cleaners. Below is just one example. If you click on the picture below it will take you directly to an Amazon.com page where there are MANY other types to chose from.

                                                           

Hummingbird return

It is that time once again to examine your feeders for damage or deterioration due to age, especially the plastic parts. The feeders made of plastic or with plastic parts don't last forever. The sun and weather deteriorates the plastic and can create a situation where the plastic can contaminate the nectar in the feeder which on top of turning the birds away because of the taste, could actually cause harm to the birds. So examine your feeders closely and replace the old ones and clean the rest thoroughly. Also this is the best time of year to stock up on nectar so as not to be caught short when the migration busy time comes at the end of August thru the first 2 weeks in September.

Hummingbird migration NOW!

Well it is that time again in the southeast part of the U.S. Make sure you put out as many feeders as you have and make sure they are FULL. Now through the next couple of weeks you will see many birds fighting to get on your feeders as they all try to lay claim to them and try to save them for themselves. Early in the morning just after sunrise and then about 2 hours before sun down is when you will see the most. If you're lucky enough to have a cloudy and cool day you may see activity all day long. I am currently seeing in the neighborhood of 15 birds fighting over the 3 feeders I have put out for them.

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Hummingbird feeders, time to get ready for the new season.

It is that time once again to start preparing for the return of hummingbirds for a new season. If any of your feeders are more than 3 years old it might be a good idea to replace them. I have learned over the years that when I replaced a feeder with a new one they tended to use that one over the other feeders that were 3 years old or older. So I have learned by trial and error that 3 years is about the time to replace them in order to keep a high volume of birds visiting your feeders. Amazon has a huge selection of inexpensive feeders as well as some decorative ones. You can go directly to the one of the feeders that I use by clicking this link -Amazon Hummingbird Feeder
It is also wise to stock up on nectar early in the season because when it gets to be migration time the supplies tend to run low. Here is a direct link to the nectar that I use in my feeders - Amazon hummingbird nectar   .

Humingbird Migration time 2014

It is that time once again to put out as many feeders as you can, filled to the brim with nectar. Mine our being emptied every couple of days. The nectar that I use is listed on the side of my page and can be purchased from that link. The mixture I use is a little richer than the instructions which is why my feeders attract more birds than the other feeders in the neighborhood that have shown up over the past years because of people driving by and seeing mine loaded with birds. But as I have mentioned in earlier posts, you need to stay on top of your feeders and keep them full with fresh nectar and when you refill them clean them good and RINSE them thoroughly. I don't have any new video, but things are still just like the videos below. Follow my tips and your feeders will look like this.........
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5iHDv-n01A&index=2&list=PL897BCD5FA5C668E9

Keep hummingbird nectar fresh

I know it is a pain to change out the nectar every couple of weeks, but trust me it is worth it. Plus when you change out the nectar you should also clean the feeders thoroughly. Because they get full of pollen and dust and some times bugs can get into the feeder and spoil the nectar. The nectar is cheap, if you use the powder as I do. It is the same stuff I advertise on this page. There is a reason my feeders are full of birds all the time. It is because I do all the things I suggest here in my posts. Scroll down the page to the videos. This is what it looks like at my feeders EVERY year. So if yours aren't getting as crowded as mine then doing the same things I am doing will make a difference. Sure it takes a little time and effort, but as you can see by the videos it is well worth it. 

Humming bird feeders

Well it is spring again and time to put your feeders out. I have already seen a couple of birds here at my house this year.
Here is something to consider. If you use feeders that have plastic in them, it is a good idea to replace them every couple of years. The reason for this is that plastic will deteriorate over time as it is subject to the sun and weather and could contaminate the nectar. So if your volume of birds has been shrinking lately, this could be one of the reasons. Another reason, as I have mentioned in an earlier post, is to keep the nectar fresh by changing it out every week or so. As it sits it will get stale and also the openings will get covered in pollen and other contaminates. So try to clean your feeders and refill with fresh nectar about every week or so. If you do these 2 things you will increase the amount of birds you will see.
This time of year in order to save on nectar I mix up a batch and only fill the feeders half way and keep the left over in the fridge until needed. Filling the feeders only half way saves on nectar and will easily last for over a week as there are not many birds during the spring. As it gets into summer and the temp rises you will probably have to increase the amount you put in the feeder and maybe even add more feeders. In the spring I only put 2 feeders out and with only half the nectar.

Hummingbird migration time again.

Now is the time to get all of your feeders out and full of nectar. Make sure you have fresh nectar in all feeders. Remember nothing older than 2 weeks. Also make sure the feeders are good and clean as well. Stock up on nectar before the stores run out. Or you can purchase it right here on this website. Just click on the link on the right side and place your order.

Hummingbird feeding time again.

Sorry I was late with this reminder this year. I have had a couple of emergencies come up.

So if you haven't put your hummingbird feeders out already, you need to do it NOW.
I have had mine out for about 3 weeks now and have already seen a couple of birds drinking from it early in the morning. Also it is a good idea to replace your feeders after a couple of years as the plastic and metal on the feeders will start to deteriorate and could contaminate the nectar in the feeder. So if you notice the volume of birds to your feeder shrinking lately, that may be the reason. Try getting a new feeder and that should solve the problem and get your feeder busy again.

Hummingbird Migration ends

Well this years migration is over. With the exception of the occasional straggler, which is why I leave at least one feeder up until around December. Also as a reminder don't forget to change out the feeder with fresh nectar at least every other week if you are going to leave it up. This year turned out to be a more spread out migration. So instead of getting 30+ birds in a short period of time as I have in the past I only had 15 or so birds at any one time but the migration time lasted nearly a month long. Which is the longest period of time that many birds have stuck around during the migration to try and stake a claim to a feeder and try to defend it. Yes I said try to defend it. Earlier in the summer I always have a few birds that come by and stake a claim on one of my feeders and build a home close by in the neighboring woods. They will defend their feeder with a vengeance all summer, but during migration there are just too many birds and they are just not able to keep all of them from feeding from their feeder. So eventually they will relent slightly and allow some birds to drink from their feeder. It is really interesting to see them choose some birds as friends and allow them to drink but chase others away. I say friends because that's as close a word I can come up with to kind of describe what happens during migration. Really I think it is just an acceptance out of the realization that any one bird would just wear themselves out trying to keep all other birds off of their feeder.  

Hummingbird Nectar Last Chance

Only a couple of weeks away from migration time. This will be your last chance to stock up on nectar before they show up and start draining your feeders at an accelerated rate. When this happens there will be a rush of people to the stores and they will wipe out the stock on store shelves, it happens every year. For some reason stores don't have anybody knowledgeable about how migration works. The shelves are over flowing all summer long then they are empty during migration, when you really need a TON of nectar they DON'T have it. By the time they restock the migration is over. So please head my warning and stock up NOW, or you will regret it. The simplest way is to click this link and order direct. That way you will receive it in time for migration.

 

Hummingbird Nectar

Well the season is in full swing. Early in the morning and late in the afternoon I have 6 to 10 birds fighting over the 3 feeders I have out for them. During the heat of the day there is still the occasional bird that stops by for a drink, but because of the heat most of the action happens in the cool mornings and evenings. I have tried several types and brand names of nectar and the one that I have found that attracts the most birds is Perky-Pet instant nectar . The more you buy the cheaper it is. Trust me you might as well order several boxes or you regret it toward the end of August cause you will go through several boxes as they drink huge amounts to fatten up for the long flight back south for the winter. With 3 feeders I typically go through nearly 3 boxes in 2 weeks. That is mixing 1 pack into 24 ounces of water in a blender bottle I got at GNC. It's the bottles they use to mix the vitamin powders they sell. It works great and gives the perfect ratio mix that I have found the birds love. True the mixture I use is a little richer than the instructions on the box. That's why my feeders are loaded during migration as compared to the neighbors feeders. That's my little secret tip to have more birds than your neighbors, so ssshhhh don't tell.

Hummingbirds Return

It seemed like they were a little slow at returning this year. But after all the tornado's we had last year at the end of April who could blame them. We had 4 tornado's go through my county in 1 day, one of which was just a few miles south of here that caused us to be without power for 2 days. There were many towns affected and hundreds of people lost everything.
Anyway, now is the time to get your feeders out if you have not done so already. Also be sure to keep the nectar fresh by changing it out at least every other week. Also check them daily to make sure no ants have found your feeder.

Keeping ant's off your feeder.

Ant's are determined and resourceful little pests. If you're looking for a magical easy fix? Well I am sorry to say that there isn't one. There are many ways to deter them, some mentioned here on my site. Many more on the internet. All of the methods are either tedious or slightly messy. Most all the methods you find will work effectively. All I can say is try a couple and see which one you can be happy with. No matter which method you choose, you need to check your feeder daily to make sure they haven't found a way around your road block. Cause like I said they are very resourceful.

Hummingbird Feeder time is NOW.

It's that time once again to get those feeders out. This time of year it is best to only fill them half way in order to save on nectar because you will only see a few this time of year and you want to keep it fresh by changing it out every week or so. Remember, they like fresh food as much as we do. So please change it out  regularly to keep it fresh.
The more often you change the nectar out to keep it fresh, the larger number of birds you will attract on a regular basis.

Migration over.

Well the migration is over here at my house for this year. I will still leave 1 feeder up for awhile for any stragglers.

Migration

Well the height of the migration in my area is almost over. There are still a few birds hanging around and a few passing through. Hate that I have been busy and did not get updated video. But in case you have not seen the video I took a few years ago it is in the archive.
I would suggest that next year around the end of July that you place your large order for the hummingbird food mix at that time to get you through the migration period. Because if you wait until too close to time for migration you will have a tough time finding it on the store shelves because the stores just haven't figured out how to keep their shelves full during migration time.

Migration is begining.

Make sure that all your feeders are kept fresh and full as they are trying to fuel up for the long flight back to the south for the winter. It is already getting busy at all 3 of my feeders with around 20 birds fighting over them. This may be another busy year like the one I saw a few years ago that I took video of which you can see in my earlier posts.

How to keep ants off your feeder.

I have waited till now to post this because I have been trying several methods to see which one is not only effective but which one is the easiest, most reliable and longest lasting.
After trying numerous methods researched on the internet and in books, I have found that by taking Vaseline and spreading it on the pole that holds the feeder works perfect. If you put a good coating all around the pole and covering about 3 inches in length about half way up the pole does the trick. Make sure to make the coating at least close to a 1/8 of an inch thick or thicker because it acts as kind of a quicksand to them. It is very simple and takes only a couple of minutes and will last for weeks, even through 90 degree+ temps and severe thunder storms. Make sure that nothing is touching the pole above where the Vaseline is applied or for sure the ants will find this bridge to circumvent your Vaseline road block. CAUTION! do NOT apply above the feeder as it will run down the pole some in the heat and would end up on the feeder. Reapply when the thickness gets below 1/8 of an inch.

Hummingbirds are back !

If you don't have your feeders out by now, you need to get them out today. Starting to see a slow return already of a couple of birds. I had a late start this year and last year because a blue-jay decided to build a nest and have some babies in the bush where my feeders are so the hummingbirds stayed away until she and her 3 little ones had left.
Don't forget to change the nectar in your feeder weekly, especially in the heat of summer as the nectar will spoil, also small bugs will accumulate down in the reservoir where you can't see them and die, which also contaminates the nectar.
They don't like to eat dirty food anymore than we do.

Hummingbirds Return

Well it's that time again to put out the feeder and start shopping for those flowers again. Of course if your like me and planted a few of the flowers that are bulbs, they will be starting to sprout up about now. In fact this is a great way to determine when you should put your feeders out for the new season. When the sprouts from the bulbs first poke out of the ground you should put out at least one feeder. Then when the birds start to show up then you can put out more feeders to accommodate them. I haven't spotted a bird yet but I'm sure it won't be long now. This year I hope to get a live web-cam up and running or at least I will try to get new video to post.

So if you are anywhere in the southern U.S. you should start getting ready NOW for the hummingbirds return migration northward.

All Quiet at the feeder

Well it looks like all the birds are gone for the winter. In fact they stayed longer, but then they left in a hurry. They were here one day 20 birds or so. Then the next day there was only one. Then in a couple of days he left as well. Then a few days later the weather turned cold and has been cool for about a week now. The fact that there are no stragglers makes me wonder if winter is going to show up early or be worse this year. Will be waiting to see. Well I won't be writing much between now and next spring when the cute little hummers return, which is usually mid to late Feb. or March.

Hummingbirds headed south for winter.

Well they stayed 3 weeks longer than in previous years but they have finally moved on southward headed for their winter home. Wish I would have had time to take some pictures or video cause it was really busy this year. Also a couple of the birds got quite chubby, close to the size of a ping pong ball, almost hard to believe those little wings could lift the large body of the real chubby birds.
I will keep fresh nectar out for a couple more weeks just in case there are a few stragglers.

Swarms of Hummingbirds

Migration is in full force and lasting longer than usual. There are around 30 birds competing for the 3 feeders. Sorry I haven't had time to get any current video. But check the archives for past video where there were 40 plus birds.

More birds starting to arrive.

Well they sure were slow in showing up this season but there are more showing up every couple of days. Ever since that year where I had a lot of birds around the feeders most all of the neighbors now have feeders so the birds are a little spread out now. But that sure doesn't slow down the action. They chase each other up and down the street from house to house. I would estimate there are probably close to 20 plus birds in the neighborhood at this time and will probably continue to grow as we close in on the migration. The migration is probably occurring in the northern US. The migration here where I live in mid Alabama usually kicks into full swing around the last week of August and lasts about 2 weeks into September.

Birds arriving

Well the birds are finally arriving and as usual a couple have staked their claim to the feeder and are defending it. Because of the extreme heat this year the birds are showing up mainly in the evening a couple of hours before sundown. It is fascinating to watch them, they look like small jet planes in a dog fight as they chase each other off the feeder.

Birds arriving late this year.

So far this year I have only seen 2 hummingbirds. It appears that for some reason they are arriving later this year than last. By this time last year I had at least 6 plus birds visiting my feeder daily. Be patient they will be arriving soon.

Time to put out those feeders.

For those of you in the southern part of the US, it is time to put out those feeders if you haven't already. Usually I don't fill my feeders too full this early in the year because the volume of birds is so light. So what I do is mix up the nectar, fill the feeder only halfway then store the rest in the fridge for the next week. Haven't seen any yet but I'm sure it won't be long because the weather here has been really mild for about a week now. If you start seeing birds in your area leave me a short comment about where in the country you are and when you saw the first, and if you recently took a good picture of one, send that to, david@humbirdguy.com, and I will post some.

Hummingbirds Return.

This year with the long winter weather hanging on, there is a good chance that the return of the hummingbirds will be significantly later this year. Last year I saw my first bird before the end of Feb. This year my best guess is I probably won't see the first bird till mid or late March. But, hey, still a good idea to start preparing now by stocking up on Nectar, maybe a new feeder or replace an old one. Start shopping for those flowers for your garden. They will need to be planted soon as well.

Keeping in mind that I live in mid Alabama, so if you live further north it will be later than that.

Also if you didn't see many birds last year I would suggest scrolling my previous post on my tip for the optimum location for your feeder.