Hummer Activity Still Hot in Southern California..

Deborah, a customer from southern California shared the wonderful summary of the hummer activity in her yard that follows. Imagine, year round birds along with the beaches and mountains too. It's on days like this that I seriously imagine being somewhere else, with hummers, for the winter...

After I sent out a volume of Hummer News today, I enjoyed the following exchange with Deborah:

Deborah:
Hi,

I love my hummingbirds, this is my first season with them. They are still around here, visit everyday and are so much fun to watch. I have 5 feeder stations. I started with four feeders, and had to add one to the back, as I have a very aggressive territorial male that I call "Buger" as he is a little buger! I have had to add plants (camouflage) around the feeders to give others a chance to feed. I have another male called "Flash" who flashes by and gets Buger to chase him. As Buger chases Flash, two females come in, Agent B and Agent C and they get their share. I know each female as Agent B hovers and never sits to eat, and Agent C will sit and eat. Then I have another female called "Crash" and you can guess why...one day she crashed into the window, but was fine and flew away. The one feeder in the back by my kitchen window seems to be for one lone female (who looks pregnant) whose name is "Sugar"...I watch them every day. The same routine goes on every day. Buger stands ground and watches every one of HIS feeders, sits on a tree branch in the back next to the porch and he starts his day at sun up and ends at sun down.....I have to laugh when Agents A & B come in and sneak their food. I wonder if Flash...knows this or is setting this up for them???

so goes my first season with my hummers.......

jam:
Deborah - What a great description of your birds!! You had me laughing out loud and I can tell you really spend some time studying and learning about the unique behavior of your local population. That alpha-male behavior is one of the difficult things to deal with sometimes, but you did just the right thing by having feeders placed so there is no line of sight from one to the other. I know exactly what you mean by the females or juveniles rushing in whenever a bully male departs. I have four areas, all out of sight of each other. Sometimes it seems they go in circles, following the dominant male as he makes his rounds to protect his turf.

Your summary is so interesting and detailed, I'd love to share it at the blog - Very warmest regards!  cheers, jam

Deborah:
I am glad you enjoyed it. I will keep you informed of these hummers. Please feel free to share.

Also to share, after a month or so of these hummers coming around, I was sitting on my front porch and my neighbor came over to see what I was doing, as I was telling her about my hummers.....I was explaining "Buger" to her, I pointed him out on his tree limb then he literally snuck up from behind us and hovered in her face, I think he was checking her out as this is HIS territory, all she could say is "Oh my gosh!", then while explaining, "FLASH"....Flash flew by in a FLASH! It was funny watching her face....and I warned her that Agent B and Agent C would soon sneak in between the porch rails and here they came, it was great watching her face as this all happened while I was telling her about the hummers...these birds are so much fun, they come on the porch even if I am out on the porch.

And I look forward to Buger everyday when I get home from work, it's the first thing I ask my husband...."Is Buger around?"

jam:
That's really great stuff and I really appreciate your sharing your careful observations...

Sad End To Cape Cod Visit by Intrepid West Coast Allen Hummingbird

I am sad to pass on news, forwarded to me by my friend Doug on Cape Cod. The truly unimaginable adventure of the Allen Hummingbird that ran afoul of New England winter in Cape Cod in December (noted earlier below) has come to an end. The story with still photos and video can be read here:

http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100127/NEWS/1270317

It seems to me that the total trip finally made by this amazing hummingbird would be something like a human making it to the moon in a garage built craft. I envy the folks at the Cape who actually got to see and know this intrepid traveler.

Hummer News – Vol. 6 – January 2010

This deep into winter, I am really missing my hummers a lot each day. Locally, we’ve had numerous snowstorms and today is a bitter cold today – wind chill about -10 degrees F. I know we’ve had five weeks of lengthening days and even though there are several active feeders in the yard with cardinals, titmouses, nuthatches, purple finches, goldfinches, chickadees, downy woodpeckers, juncos and others, it’s just not the same. I can’t anticipate that at any moment, a tiny, flying jewel will just suddenly be there at my window, as if by magic. It is hard to even write that it will be ten or more weeks before I can reasonably expect my first hummer visits.

But, my nectar tubes are all cleaned thoroughly with the 10% bleach solution and ready to pop into feeders as soon as freezing threats retreat, probably in March, even though that is at least a month early for most seasons. Hope springs eternal and you just never know when an unexpected bird finds itself way away from its normal habitation and needing some nectar in my back yard…

Do you still have hummers where you are?

Even though I will be a jealous as can be, I will always be interested to hear from you about specific locations that still have hummers now, this far  into the winter. As I noted in our blog, there was an instance of a west coast Allen Hummingbird in Cape Cod in December. Ultimately, the bird had to be rescued and was being treated by a bird specialist locally the last I read. Anyway, if you have a minute and are willing to drop a line about the hummers still in your back yard, that would be great and help tide me over until April

MerrComm Product Feedback Welcomed and Strongly Encouraged

I am also, of course, always very interested to hear any feedback regarding the performance of or your experience with the Hummer Photo Feeder™ the Roseburg™ or the brand new Hummer Stik™ as well as cleaning brushes and glass pump bottles for dispensing nectar to tubes.

Our blog awaits and welcomes you…

Please visit your blog Hummingbird Haven and better yet, please jump in. I do expect to add a couple of entries in the near future. If you’ve lost the email inviting you to be a fully enabled post author, just drop me an email and I will send a new one. Just reply to that invitation and join the fun. Find the blog here: http://hummerhaven.blogspot.com/

Happy Hummers and a Snug Warm Winter until the next time…

Copyright 2010, Merritt Communications, Inc. – All Rights Reserved

Thanks Jam

Just wanted to stop by and tell Jam thanks for posting the picture I painted for him, that was a nice surprise. Again thanks.

I was wondering if anyone has ever seen this hummingbird, it is called a Violet Sabrewing. I think it is so beautiful would love to observe one someday.

West Coast Hummer Winters in Chilly Cape Cod Massachusetts

It has become big news here in Massachusetts that there is at least one Allen Hummingbird, generally never found east of the Mississippi, that has arrived and stayed through very cold conditions here on the east coast to feed at a Harwichport home. Pictures and story can be found at the following link:

http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/misc?url=/_flash/gallery/gallery.html&Avis=CC&Dato=20100107&Kategori=MEDIA0102&Lopenr=107009997&Ref=PH

Thanks to my long time friend Doug, who resides on Cape Cod, for this link!
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News of Hummers Currently in Portland Oregon

In the most recent Hummer News I asked if folks still have hummers where they are. Here is an email exchange I very much enjoyed with Laura from Portland, OR over the past several days...

Laura: I live in Portland Oregon and I still have hummers


jam: Thank you! Our family in Sheridan, OR says theirs are gone, but others in the state report winter visits like you.

L: Mine aren't visiting - they are camped out and defending their feeders!!! Still here from the summer...just never left. Must have been the feeders that kept them here...they even weathered 18 degree weather. I noticed more hummers camped out around a feeder down the street. Poor little guys. I should have stopped feeding them around Sept to give them a chance to leave. I just didn't know any better. Do you think that is a good plan for next year?

j: You mean there is nectar in the tubes, but they aren't eating any? That would be a new situation for me. I honestly don't believe that the birds will behave other than they should just because there is food available. I know they are feeding regularly in Roseburg, OR. I am also going to see if I can find some research on hummer behavior in marginal climate zones, where they may or may not migrate, and see if I can find anything because it is quite interesting to me too. If it was me and the nectar doesn't freeze, I'd keep them full...if the nectar goes down, you'll know someone is getting a little.

L: I have to fill my feeders about every 3 days and when they start to freeze I attach a “hot hands” to them to keep them from freezing. Two small feeders are attached to windows with suction cups and they don't seem to freeze as easy. The first time the feeder froze I saw the little hummer trying to peck through the ice so I brought it the feeder nuked it and put it back out. (poor little guy) Later I thought of the hot hands (after having to thaw every 3 hours you tend want a different solution). Don't use feeders with metal perches my daughter did the first time and the little hummers feet stuck to the metal and she had to spray warm water on the perch to thaw the ice. The hummer was quite panicky needless to say.

I see the hummer at my window feeder throughout the day. I have it attached where I do dishes, on my kitchen window, and I swear he comes by when he sees me there. I've become quite attached I must admit. One of God's many blessings!!!

j: What an interesting story!! - I believe you are already doing exactly what you need to do...it is wonderful that you take such extra steps to help out our tiny friends, who definitely seem to be feeding, even now at your home. I think other people would be very interested in your story as well. Would you mind if I summarize your emails and post them on the blog, using only your first name and OR as identifiers of the locale and person. I know I enjoyed reading about your efforts. Also, I am still hoping to find some infor on the marginal seasons based on our conversations. let me know if it is OK to tell your story on our blog?

L: Be my guest. I love these little guys - anything to help. I actually bought a heated perch and am going to try it out in a large plastic box with a small feeder suctioned to the top of it to maybe help get them out of the rain and cold...maybe I'll place some sliced oranges at the bottom to attract fruit flies for them too. They will still have their freedom but some help too. I'll let you know how it goes

j: Thanks Laura!! You have just officially become a contributor to the blog...