Hummer Foto Feeder™

Hummer Foto Feederâ„¢
All Products are Here

2010-01-11

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.

2010-01-09

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!
.
.

2010-01-08

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...

2009-12-29

Hummer News – Vol. 5 – December 2009

Hummer News – Vol. 5 – December 2009


With 2010 just around the corner, I want to take this opportunity to thank each of you for contributing to the success of my first year undertaking a hummingbird feeder enterprise online. I also want to wish you a healthy, Happy and Peaceful New Year! Another strong hope is that the coming year will help all of us get through the very difficult economic times we have all faced.

Do you still have hummers where you are?

I continue to be interested to hear from you about specific locations that still have hummers now, late in December. So, if you have a minute and are willing to drop a line, I would very much appreciate hearing from you. I am also, of course, always very interested to hear any feedback regarding the performance of or your experience with the Hummer Photo Feeder ™

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 Bright New Year until the next time…

Our Resident Artist - Phyllis

I will substitute with better photos when I can, but wanted everyone to see the wonderful oil painting by our author here, Phyllis






Hummer Wing Motion in Flight - Superb Video

I received the link for this excellent short video that is able to slow the motion of wing flaps right down. Thanks to my friends Dale and Charlie for this one!
http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/time-warp-hummingbird-in-high-speed.html

2009-11-01

Sometimes it's not easy to attract hummers...



I was very impressed to hear about the efforts of one of my customers in working to attract her hummers to a feeder on the balcony of her townhouse. After rules kept her from hanging her traditional hummingbird feeder, she ordered a Hummer Foto Feeder™ to attach to the balcony window. However getting the birds to notice the feeder in that recessed location was not exactly straight forward. After exchanging some emails with tips, I was very happy to recently receive the following email and photos, which I am posting here with permission...




"I finally write you with good news about the hummers!!! After being unsuccessful getting any hummers to come to the feeder for months (tried everything) I finally have a neighborhood of hummers hanging out on my balcony! (I could no longer hang my feeder on my balcony- so I had attached the feeder on my balcony glass door- but to no avail. ) I had seen a couple of hummers so I knew they were there. I had even tied bright red ribbons to my ficus tree (as well as getting a red geranium plant by the edge of the balcony) to lead the way. They had approached the ribbon bunch but left when they realized it was an imposter. SO! I had to get creative. I wrapped the end of the copper wire of your feeder to a branch on my ficus tree and made sure the feeder was adorned with the ribbon bunch they seemed to like as well. I put it on a branch higher up and away from my balcony. It worked!! The hummers started to come. I then figured out a way to hang my large hummer feeder from the inside of my balcony railing so one of the main feeders is right out in the open. It's like my place is a hummer restaurant now! In Los Angeles, it seems the hummers are still out (it's even been really warm here lately like summer- crazy weather). I can hear them twittering all the time and they are constantly approaching my feeders. I know there are different birds from the amazing variety of colors and markings. I have to take a picture for you when I get a chance. I have been having to fill up your feeder every day now!!! My cats are very excited- such good viewing!



Anyways- I am so happy to finally be able to see these beautiful birds!

Thanks for all of your support!"



following are pictures taken on this unique set-up:








2009-10-28

Hummer News – Vol. 4 – October 2009

As Halloween approaches, all the hummers have been gone here in Massachusetts for at least a couple weeks now. So, I’ve recently thoroughly cleaned all my feeders and tubes with my 10% bleach solution. Everything is nice and clean, ready for next spring, but I would strongly recommend that you use some gloves when you do yours – I didn’t and after a week of using a good hand lotion, the dry skin on my fingers is finally starting to get back o normal. The foliage is beautiful, but I miss the hummers and it seems like such a long time until spring right now…

Do you still have hummers where you are?

I know anecdotally that some of you have hummers all year round. But I would be very interested to hear from you about specific locations that still have hummers now, late in October, or who know they will have them all year. So, if you have a minute and are willing to drop a line, I would very much appreciate hearing from you. I am also, of course, always very interested to hear any feedback regarding the performance of or your experience with the Hummer Photo Feeder ™


eBay’s difficult new policies, new 100% guaranteed satisfaction and feedback


If any of you are small scale eBay sellers like I am, you already know that starting this month eBay changed its policies regarding “Top Rated Seller” and certain listing options that used to be open to help smaller crafter/sellers add critical online visibility. Now, it requires huge dollar sales per month – for me it would mean selling over 100 feeders every month – a very unlikely occurrence. The listing options that have been removed used to allow me to pay some fees and get elevated placement when customers searched for hummingbird feeders and products, as well as add a color stripe that helped my listings stand out.


The result was immediate and difficult. I went from selling a feeder just about every other day, to virtually no sales at all. I know the season was drawing to an end in many places, but it was like someone just turned off the faucet. Folks who were already “Top Sellers” now have all the advantages and I am trying to figure out some ways to deal with the changes.


To help stand out a bit when folks finally get to see my listings, in addition to free shipping, total customer support, Hummer Haven Blog and the best products I can provide, I have added a 100% satisfaction guaranteed policy to all my current feeder listings. If anyone is unhappy with their purchase for any reason at all, I will refund every cent they paid and cover all return shipping costs. Since that is true for new customers, I want to offer all of you the same protection. If you have had any problem at all with my products, it is critical that I know about it so I can address the issues in the products, as well as make you completely happy


As always, but now even more important than before, feedback is critical to small sellers like me. So, I wanted to take a moment to talk about that. First, if you HAVE NOT received feedback from me, it is only because I have not received feedback from you. Until I receive feedback from a customer, I do not know whether they are completely happy or if there are issues that need to be resolved. If you are someone that has not left feedback until now and it is because you are unhappy for any reason at all, I hope you will take advantage of my 100% satisfaction guaranteed policy, no matter when you bought a feeder from me. However, if you have been happy with your purchase, I hope you will consider taking a moment or two to leave 5-star positive feedback, as it is the lifeblood of any seller. I also hope you will recommend my feeders and supplies to others you know who might be interested.


Finally, if you are a small seller who is facing the same dilemma with the new policies and have figured out other approaches, I would be very happy to hear from you about them. I am trying an eBay advertising scheme that will present my listing at the BOTTOM of search lists as a “sponsored product” on which buyers can click to find my product. I pay only when someone clicks. In about two weeks, the ads have been presented about 4,000 times, resulting in only about 30 clicks and no sales so far.


Our blog awaits and welcomes you…


Please visit your blog Hummingbird Haven and better yet, please jump in. 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 Halloween until the next time…

2009-08-31

This is truly amazing!!

A lady found a hummingbird nest and got pictures all the way from the egg to leaving the nest.

Keep in mind the egg is smaller then a Tic Tac and a quarter fits the opening of the nest.

Be sure to click on NEXT PAGE at the bottom of each page; there are about 5 pages in all, so enjoy and please share with others.

The Web Site is http://community-2.webtv.net/Velpics/HUM/

2009-08-30

Welcome to Hummingbird Haven!

This space has been created for you to have a friendly and easy place to share your experiences observing and photographing hummingbirds, as well as learn what others are experiencing. For those of you that are users of the Hummer Foto Feeder™ or other hummingbird products that I sell on eBay and elsewhere, I truly hope you will share your good and bad experiences so that I can work to make these products the very best they can be. I sincerely encourage you to post comments, stories, questions, photos and videos.

I do not consider myself to be any kind of expert relative to hummers and actually came to my intense and passionate interest only over the past five years or so. However, by simply communicating over that time with so many other folks who love their hummers, I have picked up a great deal of useful information and some cautions that I want to share with you to enhance your pursuit of these wonderful and intriguing creatures.

In the Native American Medicine Wheel Horoscope, the hummingbird represents "Joy." As far as I am concerned, they seem to have gotten that exactly right and my stongest hope for this space is that it will enable us all to have the opportunity to share that joy with each other.


Please feel welcome and free to jump in, make a contribution and come back soon!

Thank you for visiting...

Updated Posting Editor

If you have already posted before, you will note some differences in the editor now. I updated to the blog site's new and improved version. Hope you will try it out. I we start having any problems with it, I can change back later...

2009-08-28

"Beta Testing" Foto Feeder Prototype

Here are two shots during early field testing of a prototype of the Hummer Foto Feeder™ design at my parents' house…












Wind Chime Tube Feeder

Just wanted to show another way to use your tube feeders that Jam has on his e-bay site, I wired one to a wind chime I have on my patio and the hummers love it, they can sit on copper wire above the feeder and keep other hummers away, it is so much fun to watch them. Hope you will try this also.

2009-08-24

Male Ruby Throat on Hummer Foto Feeder™

Our shy Male Ruby Throat making a rare full daylight appearance at one of our kitchen Hummer Foto Feeder™

Male Ruby Throat at the Roseburg Nectar Feeder™



A particularly feisty male Ruby Throat surveying "his domain"

Female Ruby Throated at a Roseburg Nectar Feeder™



a female Ruby Throated hovers under attractors...

The Very First Roseburg Nectar Feeder™

Just wanted to show you a four tube feeder that I bought from jam, my humming birds love it, they are always fighting over it.

Feeding Time


This is one of my hummers in my back yard.