Somethings going on. In reference to my large 30oz feeders that many of you have seen in my vids, I have been filling in accordance to the hummers needs in 2-3 day. Usually half-full. But this time one feeder was drained by 2:30pm after refilling after they quit feeding last night. I know, the question that must be filling your head now is do I have bats. Possible, but Ive never seen any after dark here. I would like to think it is just an increase in hummmer feeding. If it is and only early july I am in trouble. I better start buying sugar by the barrel.

Steve
Martinsville, In
Heat zone 6
Sunset zone 35

How early do you get up in the morning? Things are very strange this year. Could there possibly be an early start in migration this year? Maybe something to do with Al Gore's global warming and the hummingbirds carbon footprints.

Steve, I was just going to post that I've had a big increase in visitors to the feeder today before I read your message.   Both males and females. Numbers slowly building for about a week. If I had to guess at a reason it'd be that the young have fledged and the females have a little free time on their hands...er wings. And the males are trying to interest them in courting.

Whyever they're here, I'm enjoying seeing them.

 

Linda V
Connecticut zone 6b

Well, babes are out of nests, increasing the entire population! Simple arithmetic. I doubt anyone is migrating yet. At the banding site, we are getting more action with youngsters and adult males. Of 2 adult males last Sunday, 1 was still in worn plumage while the other was molting, a sure sign he is done for the season. Neither carried any fat.

At my place, where I have been virtually hummerless since early May, I am now seeing 1 or 2 youngsters. Moving around, I think, rather than moving on.

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Nancy L Newfield
Casa Colibrí
Metairie, Louisiana USA
USDA Zone 9

No increase around my place. Still waiting and hoping for a hummer surge.

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

I can see why now with all the hummers in my back yard tonight. I have to fill those 30oz feeders now. Thats an august type thing.

Steve
Martinsville, In
Heat zone 6
Sunset zone 35

Nancy,

When the male molts, does he lose the red gorget?

Suchie

Steve, I know what you mean. I'm getting visitors at the feeder about every 5 minutes this morning! (that's a lot for me). Business has really picked-up dramatically.

Linda V
Connecticut zone 6b

Suchie, no, once the male gets his red gorget, he keeps. When birds molt, they lose a few feathers at a time so they are never devoid of feathers. Some birds, like Scarlet Tanagers, replace their red feathers after breeding with dull yellow-green feathers. For hummers [except for young males], feathers are replaced with the same kind of feathers. Molt often takes place over a period of several weeks, but the post-breeding molt for Ruby-throateds is really accelerated. Only body feathers are involved and the birds look very raggedy, but all body feathers are replaced in just a couple of weeks. Some birds do show bare spots, but an adult male always looks like an adult male.

Young males molt a bit differently. They get their full gorgets on the wintering grounds. The crown and gorget are the last part of the plumage to be changed, so the gorget sort of comes in all at once in late winter. When they molt their wing and tail feathers, the shapes and color patterns of the feathers are different. Instead of the white-tipped tail feathers, they grow shorter, more pointed, black feathers. For their wings, the feathers are shorter and more pointed. That is the reason that adult males are smaller in total measurements than young males.

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Nancy L Newfield
Casa Colibrí
Metairie, Louisiana USA
USDA Zone 9

Linda

Glad to hear you are also having a dramatic upswing in visitors. I was thinking that I already had a few so-called juvies visiting my yard, after the last couple of days I would say even more area nests have been released. Today it happens to be raining and that will cause an even more intense feeder feeding day. BTW Im having an awfull lot of adult males in my yard at present. Last evening as I sat viewing my front yard there were at least a half a dozen males playing musical chairs at the feeders, yet while I enjoyed that show I was thinking about the big action going on in back yard.

Steve
Martinsville, In
Heat zone 6
Sunset zone 35

While a few fledglings have appeared at Palmyra in the past week the home garden still has just a single male - a male with an embarrassment of riches. It has been at least 10 days since a female was detected sneaking in for a quick feed. The situation on July 9 is in no way predictive of numbers later in July and in August. Last year was such a fine year at home, one of the best in more than 20, that it is hard to see how it will be equaled this year - but you never know.

Hey Steve,

I went back and read some postings from this time last year. You were going thru the same thing with having to fill the feeders frequently and lots of visitors.  Must be a regular pattern for your yard.

 

Linda V
Connecticut zone 6b

Thanks for the detailed response, Nancy. I thought the male in my yard had been in a fight. Perhaps, he is just molting. I am attaching a photo for reference.



I have also started seeing a fledgling. She (I think it's a female since there is no stippling at the throat) is either clueless, or really knows how to stand up to the male's aggressivness. She just sits on a branch while he throws a tantrum.

Suchie

What a cutie!

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Farmer Steve
Deluz, CA usda zone 10a

Linda

Thanks for giving that update info from last year. If thats the way it was last year then it appears Im right on schedule. I know one thing they are now going thru two 30oz feeders in two days time. Last year during august I added a third 50oz feeder to take care of their needs. My back yard is their fav locale where the majority hang out but I also get quite a few out front.

Steve
Martinsville, In
Heat zone 6
Sunset zone 35

I also saw an increase in feeding starting today. Up until now I was only seeing a hummingbird once or twice a day, usually early morning or just before dark. Today I had visitors at the flowers off and on all day and even saw two at a time on different patches of the newly blooming monarda. It was worth the wait and even with the cold western New York spring and early summer enough is blooming so they should be happy enough. I am!

Carol WNY
Amherst, NY
Zone 5