Two feeders and lots of blooms are available for it. I am now believing he was born right here and that is why I had an adult female until Oct 24th. She stayed with him until he was able to make it on his own before she migrated. I knew she had been here for a long time - now I am guessing she was here all summer and had a late nesting due to the cool-wet spring we had. This was probably her second nest of the summer.
When he feels strong enough and instinct kicks in he will migrate - as long as it is before we get freezing weather that could kill him.



Russ Thompson
http://e-hummingbirds.com
http://vimeo.com/hummingbirds
http://hummingbirds.photoshop.com
Louisville, Kentucky

I still have 2 immature males taking turns at my feeders. One has been here 11 days so far. That's puzzling.

Joan Garvey - Metairie, LA Zone 9

Thanks Joan - it is still here and we should have warm days through Sunday.

Russ Thompson
http://e-hummingbirds.com
http://vimeo.com/hummingbirds
http://hummingbirds.photoshop.com
Louisville, Kentucky

It looks like a classic el niņo weather pattern is setting up for a while. That means above normal temps for much of the country. Louisville won't have to worry about freezing temps for the foreseeable future.

Zone 5a
East-central Iowa

What a difference about 150 miles of latitude can do! Strangely, it looks like I may be in the same climate zone as Russ in KY (I'm in southwestern PA), but we already got a killing frost here weeks ago and will be having some night time temperatures in the 30's this week. I just looked at the weather on NOAA and it looks like Louisville will be 5-10 degrees warmer than we will be. El Nino may be helping Russ, but I don't think it's doing a whole lot for us here in PA.

Thank goodness it's staying warm for your late visitor. I hope he gets himself fattened up and is on his way soon. November--wow! My hummers skedaddle by the end of September and I have yet to see even an October hummingbird. Glad you're enjoying the little guy!

The only hummingbird plants still hanging on for me are some Salvia guaranitica, and my Candy Corn Vine. Both are still flowering feebly but I doubt they're producing nectar. The only reason they survived is some Ipomoeas grew over top of them and served as an insulating blanket against the frost. Everything else was done for weeks ago.

Dan, you inspired me to read up on El Nino....

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2009/20090709_elnino.html

What more could a little hummer want - 70 degree weather, Pineapple sage, Mexican sage, Brazilian sage, Subrotunda, Lantana and Cuphea all to himself. Yesterday he did have to share the Pineapple sage with a Monarch Butterfly and his feeder with honey bees.

Russ Thompson
http://e-hummingbirds.com
http://vimeo.com/hummingbirds
http://hummingbirds.photoshop.com
Louisville, Kentucky

Amen Russ ! If it was not reared in your neighborhood at least the little guy was keen enough to drop by and load up on fuel !

Zone 6b New Jersey

visit my hummer photos athttp://www.flickr.com/photos/38829896@N00/

Good for you Russ--- Guess you are breaking all kinds of records this year. How nice that your plants have made it thru the recent cold weather and now have 70 temps. Is that david verity to the right and does it have a lot of blooms still.

Steve
Martinsville, In
Heat zone 6
Sunset zone 35

Thanks Stephan - I am sure he is enjoying it here. He has grown mentally and doesn't chase every bee or bird that moves near him. He has gone from flowers only to in-flight eating from the feeder to (starting yesterday) perching at the feeder while filling up. Migration instinct should kick in soon and he will join Patricia down in Costa Rica.

Steve that Cuphea is great and hummingbirds love it. I don't know if it is David Verity or not the tag said Cuphea micropetala cigar plant and I have a few dozen starts for next summer. There will be lots of that around the yard next summer because it blooms great all summer and fall. I got starts two ways - (1)took cuttings and they are easy to start in wet soil and (2) pulled starts directly from the ground including some roots then planted in individual pots for overwintering. I must have 20 plus that I pulled from one plant that did great in the garden and I am trying to keep my potted one (slightly cut back) through the winter to see how it does.

Next summer my garden will be full of (1) Cuphea micropetala (2) Big Burly Cardinal Flower (3) Brazilian Sage (4) Black and Blue Salvia (5) various honeysuckle vines (6) Subrotunda (7) Argentina Skies (8) Bee Balm and some LIR, Coral Nymph, Cardinal Climber, Cypress vine, Trumpet vine, Lantana, etc.

Russ Thompson
http://e-hummingbirds.com
http://vimeo.com/hummingbirds
http://hummingbirds.photoshop.com
Louisville, Kentucky

Russ

I too am over wintering several cuttings of david verity and also plan on keeping them pinched back as the shumannii I overwintered the year before got a little out of hand. Its too bad that our climate does not allow for us having cupheas year round. I was amazed that I finally had a black and blue come back this year for the first time. I also have several cuttings of greggii autumn sage that Im attempting to overwinter and spread around next spring.

Steve
Martinsville, In
Heat zone 6
Sunset zone 35

Russ, if it isn't David Verity it is very close. I think DV is a great tropical plant for northern gardeners. They root so fast it is possible to make unlimited spring cuttings for the garden. Before they were frosted the cuttings rooted last winter topped out between 4 and 5 feet, nice single season growth for a tender tropical.

Russ,
I am going to have to go with Cuphea ignea 'David Verity' also as oposed to Cuphea micropetala. The leaves of the C. Micropetala are much more swordlike and probably average at least 3-4 inches long or longer depending on the size of the plant. The flower is more yellow near the tip also where as David verity is mostly orange. Last year I also had 20 some odd cuttings of David Verity that I rooted and kept over the winter. I planted as many as I could and then passed the rest along to other local hummgardeners. I have my large potted one inside now along with 4 rooted cuttings so far. By the time spring returns I will hopefully have a few more. I am glad that you are having such mild weather with so many plants still blooming for you. I only have a few honeysuckle bloom clusters and one Salvia greggii still blooming and one Salvia reptans blooming. Everything else is pretty much done.


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

I did not see him yesterday afternoon or this morning and he may have migrated on 11-09-09. He was ready and I hope he has moved on before any cold weather arrives.

Penny - I think that Cuphea micropetala is great and if David Verity is better I will have to add that to my garden next summer. The adult female and the few juveniles I had this Aug, Sep and Oct loved my micropetala. I can't remember exactly when it started blooming but I am sure I have a photo somewhere. It is still blooming and waiting for the migrant Rufous or ? that is going to arrive anytime. LOL

Russ Thompson
http://e-hummingbirds.com
http://vimeo.com/hummingbirds
http://hummingbirds.photoshop.com
Louisville, Kentucky

Russ

I seem to be sorta following in your footstep in reference to increasing my hummer garden. What started out as one little strip of plants has grown in width by the year and next spring will be no difference as I will have more david verity and many more greggi , oh well less to mow. And considering we are only 120mi apart not a lot of climate variation. Anyway I must be some kind of nut as Im really looking forward to increasing my garden area. I already get more than my share of hummers so I dont know what that will do.

Steve
Martinsville, In
Heat zone 6
Sunset zone 35

Until all the grass is gone we must not stop expanding our hummingbird gardens - just kidding - I have to have some grass for my Boston Terriers to play ball on. Katie forces me to play ball at least once a day - she will chase as long as I will throw - but a tired dog is a good dog. LOL

Russ Thompson
http://e-hummingbirds.com
http://vimeo.com/hummingbirds
http://hummingbirds.photoshop.com
Louisville, Kentucky

Steve,
I keep doing the same thing, too. Last fall I told myself no new beds and no expanded beds. Well, this fall I'm expanding my beds for hummer plants again and I'm starting another new bed. I have less and less lawn every year.
I wonder the same thing as you. Will I be able to get more hummingbirds if I have more plants and more areas or has my yard reached the saturation point and there just isn't anymore space for the birds?

Gary
Napoleon, OH
USDA Zone 5b