Hummingbirds 2020

upthesaukee · 05-04-2020, 08:15 AM

Time for the hummingbird report, 2020 edition.

I put out my feeder on Saturday May 2nd, and we had the first visitor this morning (at last the first one we've seen.).

It flew around the feeder, looking at each feeding station, without drinking anything. Then it moved between the feeder and the 3' x 5' sliding glass window and did her hummingbird dance, swinging left and right while looking in the window. It flew off but came back in about 5 mins.

I'll try to get a picture.

Dave

Hillcountry · 05-04-2020, 10:02 AM

Glad to see some signs of warmer weather! Haven’t put ours out yet but will this week. That said, the Tree Swallows that nest in our “bluebird”boxes are back and we’re exhibiting mating behavior above our property during yesterday’s lovely warmth! The bluebirds sometimes appear but are quickly evicted by the swallows! At any rate it’s nice to see them!

upthesaukee · 05-04-2020, 10:41 AM

Finally goit a picture. Every time I tried to get up to get a good picture, I spooked it. So, I started seated and waited for the head to pop up. Got it.

Dave

hilltopper · 05-04-2020, 11:24 AM

I've had one of my feeders out for a week but have yet to see one. Soon!!

hilltopper · 05-06-2020, 08:56 AM

Saw the first hummingbird of the year at the feeder 5 minutes ago. It's still sitting there feeding.

Barney Bear · 05-06-2020, 09:53 AM

Probably very hungry after such a long journey. Fill 're up!!! 🐻

garysanfran · 05-06-2020, 11:14 AM

This one got close to me and I thought it was a bee...

Pathfinder · 05-09-2020, 01:55 PM

Very busy today at our Wolfeboro hummingbird feeder.
We've had a group of bluebirds show up every winter for the past few years, usually @ 6 or 7 of them, starting around February. I put out dried meal worms for them every day (or as we like to call it, "bird crack"} They hang around for months, and I go through about a cup of meal worms a day until the feeders come down around April 1st (a bit later this year). Late in the season this year, they had to work around a very territorial robin. Interesting to see the "pecking order" play out.

hilltopper · 05-13-2020, 08:19 AM

Saw the first on May 6th. Saw a couple more on May 8th. Since then, nothing. I hope they didn't head south again after this weekend's miserable weather. Can't say I'd blame them... This has NOT been a warm Spring!

upthesaukee · 05-13-2020, 08:23 AM

Hillcountry, we have at least two coming to our feeder, both males trying to stake out their territory. We think we've seen at least one female.

One at the feeder right now.

Dave

jeffk · 05-14-2020, 04:29 AM

One showed up at our feeder on Tuesday, the 12th. Back again on Wednesday.

About a week later than last year and 4 days later than 2018.

Merrymeeting · 06-16-2020, 09:03 AM

Had lots of activity at my feeders for several weeks. Then about a week ago, it all seemed to stop. I was thinking there was something wrong with my mix until a neighbor mentioned that she was experiencing the same.

Perhaps because there are so many flowers in bloom that are a better alternative than the feeders?

upthesaukee · 06-16-2020, 09:47 AM

Merrymeeting, when our azaleas and rhododendrons were in bloom, we had a slight decrease in "seatings" at the feeder. Both bushes are within 10 ft of the feeder. In addition, there is a window box with geraniums in bloom.

Our discriminating guests not only dine "au natural", they continued to fly up for a drink at the feeder. Now that the only good source of natural food is the window box flowers, the birds are busy at the feeder again.

Busy, busy, busy a half mile above Alton Bay.

Dave

Barney Bear · 06-16-2020, 10:47 AM

We did not open our place on East Bear Island until Monday, June 8th. I thought that we were too late in the season to have our regular visitors. However, the feeders were installed that day, and the next morning we were pleased to see several customers belly up to the bar. They return daily for their sweet treat. 🐻

Biggd · 06-16-2020, 11:31 AM

I use to hang our feeder right in front of the house over hanging the outdoor patio and we had a few that we would watch as they were real close to us when we were sitting outside.
So I figured if I hung it away from us on the shed we would get more but we actually see less?
I don't know if it's too late to move it back to the house?

jbolty · 06-16-2020, 11:58 AM

Found a dead humming bird in my yard a couple days ago. Did not seem to have a mark on it but it had a bee impaled on the end of its beak. Weird.

05-04-2020, 08:15 AM	#1
upthesaukee Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Alton Bay Posts: 5,595 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 2,448 Thanked 1,978 Times in 1,079 Posts	Hummingbirds 2020 Time for the hummingbird report, 2020 edition. I put out my feeder on Saturday May 2nd, and we had the first visitor this morning (at last the first one we've seen.). It flew around the feeder, looking at each feeding station, without drinking anything. Then it moved between the feeder and the 3' x 5' sliding glass window and did her hummingbird dance, swinging left and right while looking in the window. It flew off but came back in about 5 mins. I'll try to get a picture. Dave __________________ I Live Here... I am always UPTHESAUKEE !!!!

05-04-2020, 10:41 AM	#3
upthesaukee Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Alton Bay Posts: 5,595 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 2,448 Thanked 1,978 Times in 1,079 Posts	Finally... Finally goit a picture. Every time I tried to get up to get a good picture, I spooked it. So, I started seated and waited for the head to pop up. Got it. Dave Attached Images __________________ I Live Here... I am always UPTHESAUKEE !!!!

05-04-2020, 11:24 AM	#4
hilltopper Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Meredith Posts: 724 Thanks: 25 Thanked 107 Times in 68 Posts	Not quite yet... I've had one of my feeders out for a week but have yet to see one. Soon!!

05-06-2020, 08:56 AM	#5
hilltopper Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Meredith Posts: 724 Thanks: 25 Thanked 107 Times in 68 Posts	Back! Saw the first hummingbird of the year at the feeder 5 minutes ago. It's still sitting there feeding.

05-06-2020, 09:53 AM	#6
Barney Bear Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 962 Thanks: 495 Thanked 273 Times in 174 Posts	We're Back Probably very hungry after such a long journey. Fill 're up!!! 🐻

The Following User Says Thank You to upthesaukee For This Useful Post:
Hillcountry (05-04-2020)

05-04-2020, 10:02 AM	#2
Hillcountry Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: In the hills Posts: 2,420 Thanks: 1,677 Thanked 786 Times in 466 Posts	Glad to see some signs of warmer weather! Haven’t put ours out yet but will this week. That said, the Tree Swallows that nest in our “bluebird”boxes are back and we’re exhibiting mating behavior above our property during yesterday’s lovely warmth! The bluebirds sometimes appear but are quickly evicted by the swallows! At any rate it’s nice to see them!

05-06-2020, 11:14 AM	#7
garysanfran Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: San Francisco/Meredith Posts: 1,541 Thanks: 651 Thanked 666 Times in 340 Posts	Humming close to home This one got close to me and I thought it was a bee... Attached Images __________________ Gary ~~~~_/) ~~~ ~~~~~~~~

05-09-2020, 01:55 PM	#8
Pathfinder Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 10 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Heavy feeder activity today Very busy today at our Wolfeboro hummingbird feeder. We've had a group of bluebirds show up every winter for the past few years, usually @ 6 or 7 of them, starting around February. I put out dried meal worms for them every day (or as we like to call it, "bird crack"} They hang around for months, and I go through about a cup of meal worms a day until the feeders come down around April 1st (a bit later this year). Late in the season this year, they had to work around a very territorial robin. Interesting to see the "pecking order" play out.

05-13-2020, 08:19 AM	#9
hilltopper Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Meredith Posts: 724 Thanks: 25 Thanked 107 Times in 68 Posts	Saw the first on May 6th. Saw a couple more on May 8th. Since then, nothing. I hope they didn't head south again after this weekend's miserable weather. Can't say I'd blame them... This has NOT been a warm Spring!

05-13-2020, 08:23 AM	#10
upthesaukee Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Alton Bay Posts: 5,595 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 2,448 Thanked 1,978 Times in 1,079 Posts	At least two here Hillcountry, we have at least two coming to our feeder, both males trying to stake out their territory. We think we've seen at least one female. One at the feeder right now. Dave __________________ I Live Here... I am always UPTHESAUKEE !!!!

The Following User Says Thank You to upthesaukee For This Useful Post:
Hillcountry (05-13-2020)

05-14-2020, 04:29 AM	#11
jeffk Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Center Harbor Posts: 1,162 Thanks: 205 Thanked 431 Times in 248 Posts	One showed up at our feeder on Tuesday, the 12th. Back again on Wednesday. About a week later than last year and 4 days later than 2018.

06-16-2020, 09:03 AM	#12
Merrymeeting Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Merrymeeting Lake, New Durham Posts: 2,226 Thanks: 302 Thanked 799 Times in 368 Posts	Had lots of activity at my feeders for several weeks. Then about a week ago, it all seemed to stop. I was thinking there was something wrong with my mix until a neighbor mentioned that she was experiencing the same. Perhaps because there are so many flowers in bloom that are a better alternative than the feeders?

06-16-2020, 09:47 AM	#13
upthesaukee Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Alton Bay Posts: 5,595 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 2,448 Thanked 1,978 Times in 1,079 Posts	Still good activity Merrymeeting, when our azaleas and rhododendrons were in bloom, we had a slight decrease in "seatings" at the feeder. Both bushes are within 10 ft of the feeder. In addition, there is a window box with geraniums in bloom. Our discriminating guests not only dine "au natural", they continued to fly up for a drink at the feeder. Now that the only good source of natural food is the window box flowers, the birds are busy at the feeder again. Busy, busy, busy a half mile above Alton Bay. Dave __________________ I Live Here... I am always UPTHESAUKEE !!!!

06-16-2020, 10:47 AM	#14
Barney Bear Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 962 Thanks: 495 Thanked 273 Times in 174 Posts	Drinks Are On Us We did not open our place on East Bear Island until Monday, June 8th. I thought that we were too late in the season to have our regular visitors. However, the feeders were installed that day, and the next morning we were pleased to see several customers belly up to the bar. They return daily for their sweet treat. 🐻

06-16-2020, 11:31 AM	#15
Biggd Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Waltham Ma./Meredith NH Posts: 4,058 Thanks: 2,184 Thanked 1,180 Times in 749 Posts	I use to hang our feeder right in front of the house over hanging the outdoor patio and we had a few that we would watch as they were real close to us when we were sitting outside. So I figured if I hung it away from us on the shed we would get more but we actually see less? I don't know if it's too late to move it back to the house?

06-16-2020, 11:58 AM	#16
jbolty Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Posts: 661 Thanks: 319 Thanked 250 Times in 149 Posts	Found a dead humming bird in my yard a couple days ago. Did not seem to have a mark on it but it had a bee impaled on the end of its beak. Weird.