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Hummingbird
07/30/03 04:53 AM Attachment
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I was playing around yesterday and took this photo at a job site.
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GaryM
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Reged: 09/12/02
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Posts: 1212
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Loc: Warrenton, MO
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Great photo. You were very lucky, or good, to be able to get such a shot.
Gary
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Hey! Aren't you supposed to be working?
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RichZ
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Loc: Cambridge, New York in beautiful Washington County, next to Vermont
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Great shot!!!
Rich
"What a long strange trip it's been."
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tenebrous
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Loc: Geneseo, New York
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You took a very good photo.
Our family has always set out feeders for them. Once the sliding door to the deck was left open and there was a humming bird that flew in the house to feed on hanging plant in the doorway. It got confused and flew around the house until it just hid behind a drape. My wife was able to pick it up and everyone got a close up look at the little one. She walked it outside opened up her hand and it just sat there for a few seconds. Suddenly it flew straight up about there feet and made a circle around her head and then disappeared into the trees.
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rabbitrae90
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Reged: 02/23/03
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Posts: 38
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Loc: northeast ohio
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Thats a cool close up! I just put up a hummingbird feeder about two weeks ago and I'm not geting any hummingbirds. oh well nice pic though! 
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Re: Hummingbird
[re: GaryM]
07/30/03 03:24 PM
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I had the idea of taking the pic the day before. I was changing the door at this house and there is a feeder right behind my head. I turn around as I hear the buzzing and there was a hummingbird 5 inches from my face wanting to get to the feeder. He could care less I was there as they were use to people so I figured it would be as good a time as any to take a picture. Hardest part is zooming in on them and keeping them centered in the frame as they don't sit still very long 
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weedsportpete
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Loc: Upstate New York
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It took about two weeks for them to show up at our feeder. Maybe it helped that we already had a busy 'regular' feeder that is well stocked.
Pete
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rabbitrae90
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Loc: northeast ohio
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Thanks I'll try that
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Pat
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Robert, We have some feeders out that get mobbed. I can count up to about 8-10 at or around one 4-place feeder. The males are so aggressive and territorial that they try to dominate the feeder and not let other males visit it. The females will even share one feeding position with both of them putting their beaks into the same hole. Although they feed all day the busiest times are usually during morning and evening twilight.
During an exception to that twilight comment (mid afternoon) I tried to count all the birds at the one feeder and couldn't as they are just too active to keep track of when there is over 10 at a time so I took a wide angle photo so I could "freeze" the action and get a count.
The attachment was taken through my mom's great room window and for the careful observer there are 14 hummingbirds. There are three feeding at the feeder (one mostly hidden behind the feeder), 4 in the air near the feeder, one in the air near the thistle feeder (yellow top), 5 sitting on the horizontal arms of the feeder stand, and one that is difficult to see at this reduced resolution perched on the more distant feeder's horizontal arm to the viewer's left of the upright aout a third of the way out.
There is a female cardinal at the sunflower seed feeder to the left of the picture (silver metal top) and a goldfinch nearly hidden behind a horizontal arm with a feeder on it. The goldfinch can be identified by its yellow collor.
There are often 10-20 goldfinches and or 5-15 redwinged blackbirds but this was almost a hummingbird exclusive period.
During our hot weather, 90-105, the hummers can empty this feeder in less than a day (nearly a quart). Their mix doesn't last long enough to spoil. I was thinking of using a two liter pop botle so the feeder would only have to be refilled every other day.
Oh, I almost forgot... Neat closeup. As a sometimes serious amature and used to be sometimes pro shutterbug, I can attest that skill AND OR luck is required to get a shot like yours. I have mounted cameras on tripods with remote shutter releases and didn't do much better than you did with your snapshot.
Pat
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
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chrisjbell
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Re: Hummingbird
[re: Pat]
08/01/03 06:26 PM
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I have "hummingbird wars" on my porch all the time. I have one bird that has staked out a feeder and he guards it mercilessly. No other bird is allowed near it - he's like a dive bomber for any that get close.
We have another feeder on the other side of the porch that all the other birds use. They seem to get along OK - that feeder gets drained every day or so.
I just hung a new feeder near the territorial bird, and what happened? He's decided to stake it out, too. Now he has two smaller feeders in "his" domain. I'll move the new one somewhere farther away from "his" feeder.
They're sure fun to watch, and awfully cute. Makes country living so much more interesting - better than 99% of the TV thats on any more (exception being some of the home improvement type shows).
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Slamfire
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We had to put up four feeders due to the wars. It was really funny when the fledglings started coming in to feed. 4 birds on each feeder, and a couple perched on the chains that hold up the swing. Then the stinging insects moved in, drove off the birds, and the people. This year no feeders, and a lot fewer hornets, wasps, bees etc. Did have a couple of irate birds this spring, but they gave up and moved on. 
A man's likely to mind his own business, if it is worth mindin' - Eric Hoffer
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chrisjbell
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Then the stinging insects moved in
Yup, those can be pretty nasty. We have traps set out for yellowjackets, and we poison the heck out of the wasp nests we find. The birds are pretty funny - they have a healthy respect for the stinging beasts, but will try to drive 'em off.
Maintaining the feeders is a pain. But I like watching the birds - makes it worth it for me.
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Pat
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Chris, Same here, One male has one of the feeders staked out and jealously guards it. Lately he has taken to "hiding" under a rose blossom and ambushing all comers. A while back we experimented a little bit by having two feeders in his territory. We then moved the one farther and farther away making it harder and harder for him to protect both. He tried valiantly but after the distance was great enough and the pressure of the interlopers was sufficient he just couldn't keep up. It was fun to watch him try.
It is also interesting to note that the males are the belicose ones and that females don't mind sharing. At first we had concerns that puting hummer feedeers on the same stands in close proximity to the thistle feeders might not work well as the little guys might be intimidated by the finches and such. NO WAY! When the morning and evening feeding frenzy peaks the finches tend to shy away some. The finches aren't driven away completely but become circumspect.
Pat
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
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agcomike
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Re: Hummingbird
[re: Pat]
08/05/03 12:51 PM
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When is the hummingbird season in the south east? I see some every once in a while during june-july nothing I'd like to see more but no such luck..
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Slamfire
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Loc: East TN
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Well here in East Tennessee, we had them from the end of April through the end of August. If you put up a feeder, don't use any food coloring in the nectar. It'll keep them healthier. 
A man's likely to mind his own business, if it is worth mindin' - Eric Hoffer
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Hayseed
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Loc: Beach City, TX near Trinity Bay
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All nectar for feeders that I have ever seen is red. How does food coloring hurt hummingbirds?
Chris
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tenebrous
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Re: Hummingbird
[re: Hayseed]
08/06/03 12:28 PM
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We never use the food coloring and have four feeders and plenty of Hummers. Once the birds find the feeder the color is not important. I am not so sure it makes a difference in them finding it either.
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chrisjbell
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Re: Hummingbird
[re: Hayseed]
08/06/03 03:06 PM
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How does food coloring hurt hummingbirds?
It is an additional dye that doesn't add any nutritional value to the mix. Even the "Perky Pet" stuff you get from the store is usually available in "clear".
But I put the food coloring in, even with my homemade stuff (highly secrect recipie - 4 parts water to 1 part sugar, bring to a boil). I'm not convinced that they require the dye to find the feeders, but since I tend to let them run out (it is amazing how much those little guys can consume) I think of it as a flag to get their attention. I also can't always tell when the feeders are empty looking at them from the house if I use clear.
But I expect that clear is better if you don't need the color, and I could go either way on that.
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Slamfire
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All I know is that she who will be obeyed told me, "Don't you dare put any food coloring is that". I think the reason has something to do with the neighbor who bought out the local supply. 
A man's likely to mind his own business, if it is worth mindin' - Eric Hoffer
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chrisjbell
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the neighbor who bought out the local supply
 It was a couple of weeks looking in the two stores I shop at before I could find any red food coloring. I'm stocked up now  ...
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