Dan Burwell Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 The best part is you don't have to lead them..... I had the oportunity the other day while I was out on ChipPunk patrol. The thought crossed my mind (ok, so I had the red dot on him ), but I couldn't do it, they are just too cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Ellis Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 What food concoction do y'all use? Homemade? Commercial? Set out a feeder last year but didn't have any takers. Wondered if it was the wrong time of year or the wrong food was put out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted May 30, 2009 Author Share Posted May 30, 2009 What food concoction do y'all use? Homemade? Commercial?Set out a feeder last year but didn't have any takers. Wondered if it was the wrong time of year or the wrong food was put out. According to my handy guide to hummingbirds, the first arrivals should be in your area in either late Feb or March....depends on the weather. Use four parts water to one part sugar....no need for anything fancy, no need for coloring of store "nectar". I simply put four cups of water in a pan, get it boiling lightly and then mix in one cup of sugar and let it cool...but it's a pretty big feeder. They're attracted to red more than any other color with yellow being #2. They're essentially looking for bright red and yellow flowers. R, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BNorth Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Yeah, I'm hearing that a lot when I get buzzed in the backyard now! R, I duck everytime one zips past. Sounds like a very large bee coming at you!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiG Lady Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 I was sitting in my folks' back yard one day, just quiety sitting... and a hummingbird came UP TO MY FACE and just 'hung' there for several seconds looking me in the eye (and, I daresay, me looking HIM in the eye as well ). I don't recall ever being that close to one EVER, and not so directly. It was a very cool experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentlemanJim Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 What food concoction do y'all use? Homemade? Commercial?Set out a feeder last year but didn't have any takers. Wondered if it was the wrong time of year or the wrong food was put out. According to my handy guide to hummingbirds, the first arrivals should be in your area in either late Feb or March....depends on the weather. Use four parts water to one part sugar....no need for anything fancy, no need for coloring of store "nectar". I simply put four cups of water in a pan, get it boiling lightly and then mix in one cup of sugar and let it cool...but it's a pretty big feeder. They're attracted to red more than any other color with yellow being #2. They're essentially looking for bright red and yellow flowers. R, Follow this recipe!...Too weak of mix, and they can starve to death....even with all they can eat They consume so much energy its un believeable And its amazing how far they migrate. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Ellis Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 What food concoction do y'all use? Homemade? Commercial?Set out a feeder last year but didn't have any takers. Wondered if it was the wrong time of year or the wrong food was put out. According to my handy guide to hummingbirds, the first arrivals should be in your area in either late Feb or March....depends on the weather. Use four parts water to one part sugar....no need for anything fancy, no need for coloring of store "nectar". I simply put four cups of water in a pan, get it boiling lightly and then mix in one cup of sugar and let it cool...but it's a pretty big feeder. They're attracted to red more than any other color with yellow being #2. They're essentially looking for bright red and yellow flowers. R, 4 to 1. Touch of red food coloring. Check.Is placement of the feeder critical? We had ours hanging off a branch of a crepe myrtle. Wondering if I should put out another bird feeder pole out in the open. Our other bird feeder is in the middle of the back yard. The steady supply of finches and cardinals keep us busy filling it up. A couple days a weeks I sit on the patio with a drink and a stogie and watch the birds. Can't help but chill out. It's also entertaining to watch our cats stalk the birds. They'll never get one as it's too high but they give it a shot. One of our cats is a bit, hmmm, slow. She'll sit directly underneath the feeder waiting I guess for a bird to land on her head. Birds ignore her and poop on her instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen517 Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 Ok got the feeder set up in the yard today. "No takers" figured I wouldn't. My neighbors have a number of feeders. How long till I might get some visitors ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Keen Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 (edited) Do you have any pics of your feeder? Edited May 31, 2009 by Chris Keen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted May 31, 2009 Author Share Posted May 31, 2009 4 to 1. Touch of red food coloring. Check.Is placement of the feeder critical? We had ours hanging off a branch of a crepe myrtle. Wondering if I should put out another bird feeder pole out in the open. Our other bird feeder is in the middle of the back yard. The steady supply of finches and cardinals keep us busy filling it up. A couple days a weeks I sit on the patio with a drink and a stogie and watch the birds. Can't help but chill out. It's also entertaining to watch our cats stalk the birds. They'll never get one as it's too high but they give it a shot. One of our cats is a bit, hmmm, slow. She'll sit directly underneath the feeder waiting I guess for a bird to land on her head. Birds ignore her and poop on her instead. My guide says not to use the red food coloring....no need as real nectar is usually clear and it's the colors on the feeder that attracts them...might be one of those things the experts disagree on. Mine are hanging from porch overhangs and that's how the neighbors are too. They don't seem to be too shy, but it does say that if there's a nearby perch where they can watch the feeder, it makes it more attractive. They also said that a couple of feeders can help because one aggressive hummer can't run off the others from "his" feeder. He can guard one while they go to the other. LOL about your cat! R, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted May 31, 2009 Author Share Posted May 31, 2009 Ok got the feeder set up in the yard today. "No takers" figured I wouldn't. My neighbors have a number of feeders. How long till I might get some visitors ? Oh, if your neighbors have feeders I'd be willing to bet they'll find your feeder very, very soon....probably tomorrow. We had visitors the next day after we put ours up. R, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperAWE Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 Ok got the feeder set up in the yard today. "No takers" figured I wouldn't. My neighbors have a number of feeders. How long till I might get some visitors ? Very soon if they are already at your neighbors feeders. Once they locate yours, they will add it to their feeding path, then happy bird watching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joecichlid Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 Great stuff!! Here is a humming bird I photographed a few years back while I was in Jamaca. Joe W. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Ellis Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 My guide says not to use the red food coloring....no need as real nectar is usually clear and it's the colors on the feeder that attracts them...might be one of those things the experts disagree on.Found our problem. The color of the feeder. It was a ceramic thing purchased at a craft show. No red or yellows in it at all. Blue mostly. Birds didn't see it as a flower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted June 1, 2009 Author Share Posted June 1, 2009 Here's some video of them trying out the newer feeder...looks like a hot air balloon (fitting for NM). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted June 1, 2009 Author Share Posted June 1, 2009 Here's another with even more birds...sorry for the wind noise, but you can hear a lot of their calls and the sound of their wings clearly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ima45dv8 Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 Thanks for the vids, Chris. They ARE fascinating to watch. Boz's dad, Joe, has some feeders on his back porch in TN. We stopped there for a few days on the way to last year's Nationals. Seemed like they drew an entire squadron. Sipping coffee of a morning and watching the territorial dive-bombing and belly-bumping they pulled on each other was a hoot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 You guys ever catch the human interest story with the senior guy...that wore feeders as a hat? He'd just sit in a chair with his hat/feeder on and in they'd come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ima45dv8 Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 You guys ever catch the human interest story with the senior guy...that wore feeders as a hat? He'd just sit in a chair with his hat/feeder on and in they'd come. Sounds cool. My search-fu is weak, though. Been looking for a link but can't find one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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