Humming Birds!

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So I bought a Humming Bird feeder and put it out to see if I could attract the little guys... Well Did I ever! I have about 20, that's right 20 of them feeding off the thing and all fighting over the feeder.

Looks like I'm going to have to get more feeders and put them out. It's a like a Super-Walmart parking lot at times.
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This is the best picture I can get without disturbing them. They are so quick... Drink a few sips then they're gone!
 
Neat. We were in WI a few weekends ago for a quick getaway... the back porch had a few feeders and a bunch of those guys buzzing around. Fascinating little birds...

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I was buying the store mix, but it's expensive and on the sites I read that they don't prefer it any different over the sugar water mix.

Plus there is no standards on the store mixes so it could contain things that could harm the birds whereas sugar/boiled water is harmless and does the same job.

So I started boiling 4 cups of water and adding 1 cup of sugar to it. Stir until clear and then refrigerate until cold.

I have 2 feeders, one that is always outside and one that is being cleaned and that I get ready to swap out the one that is outside.

If I take it down for more than 10 minutes they started flying towards the windows looking for the feeder, it's so funny. So I decided not to tease them and bought a second feeder.

With so many birds feeding and fighting over the one feeder, I'm gonna have to buy a few more. Little pigs!
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They are a lot of fun to watch... We have a big window on the family room, and just outside is where I have the feeder hung and anytime I'm in the room it's neat to watch them feed.
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I should have added to the post above that the Sugar/Water only lasts about 5 days in moderate conditions and depending on how many birds are feeding. You will notice that it will start to get a bit foggy, this is when the feeder needs to be washed and refilled with fresh stuff.

I'm sure your daughter will like it!
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We have 2 feeders. They are fantastic little creatures. The rufus humming birds are the funniest. Again this year, I have two rufuses that guard each of the feeders and try and fight off the others from feeding. It's hilarious.

When fall comes and they start moving from the higher mountains in CO to the foothills on their migration route south for winter, my backyard becomes a humming bird truck stop. Hundreds of them.

Actually, we've had less humers this year then past years, but as I type, their buzzing around the feeders.
 
About 80 beats per second when hovering is the limit for a small humming bird. The bigger ones beat their wing at a lower frequency. In flight, the frequency is much lower and in the range of 8 to 30 times per second.


I have a recipe for humming bird kebob somewhere.
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Originally Posted By: Chris142
Don't their wings move like 2000 times a second or something like that?
Some ridiculous amount anyways... I like the buzzing sound.
 
reminds me of the movie "the curious case of benjamin button" that i watched last night, and that irish tugboat captain!
 
We have a feeder too and get 2-3 of them. My wife was sitting outside the other day near the feeder. Her hair is dyed red and has a blond streak in front. Poor humming bird flew up to her head and was trying to figure out where to eat from that big red flower!............
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Mid March I put out 1 or 2 feeders with about a cup of sugar water in each. I mix it 3 to 1 ( simmer it about 6 minutes to make the syrup) and later I make a 4 to 1 mix. From mid July until mid September they eat about 9 cups a day. I also have flowers close to the feeders. They like to put on a show for you.
 
I don't feed humming birds, because it keeps them from doing their work: pollinating. Besides, the sight of my cat's gaping, pink maw, gives humming birds nightmares.

We have them in every park here. There are by the way some big and colorful moths that are easily mistaken for humming birds. Some of those moths can also hover.
 
Originally Posted By: hr1940
Mid March I put out 1 or 2 feeders with about a cup of sugar water in each. I mix it 3 to 1 ( simmer it about 6 minutes to make the syrup) and later I make a 4 to 1 mix. From mid July until mid September they eat about 9 cups a day. I also have flowers close to the feeders. They like to put on a show for you.
Helen do you find the syrup more popular? I have never heard of the 3:1 ratio and simmering it... I will have to try that.

I would agree that they like to put on a show... We have wonderful arrangements of flowers near by and they like to feed from the feeder and the flowers... It's kind of neat to watch them dance around. They certainly are amazing creatures...



Originally Posted By: ZZman
We have a feeder too and get 2-3 of them. My wife was sitting outside the other day near the feeder. Her hair is dyed red and has a blond streak in front. Poor humming bird flew up to her head and was trying to figure out where to eat from that big red flower!............
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That's funny!
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