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Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on July 07, 2018, 06:16 AM:
I know you are a fan of humming birds. This year we have a shitload we already have two generations Lots of Anna's, Broadtails, Black Chins and Rufus most days I can watch 15 to 20 around the feeders at on time. Quite the show ! I posted video on Facebook but don't know how to do that here !
Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on July 07, 2018, 08:25 AM:
Timely post !!!
I'm getting humming birds on my patio and would like to encourage more, but I've heard that if you get the 'formula' wrong it can kill the birds and the store-bought stuff contains dyes that are harmful.
Advice ????
Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on July 07, 2018, 08:36 AM:
Mine is al clear liquid the color is to attract humans a Walmart I use a 4 to 1 water to sugar! they thrive on it I keep flowers near bye so they do the real thing as well I also keep melons that fell victim to the 22-250 as they love to eat fruit flies !
Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on July 07, 2018, 08:39 AM:
Be sure to heat the water and sugar as making a simple syrup.
Posted by earthwalker (Member # 4177) on July 07, 2018, 09:04 AM:
4 level cups of water to 1 level cup of sugar. Heat until clear do not bring to a rolling boil.
Very simple. I have 4 feeders at the lower place and one at the lookout. I go through a lot of sugar.
Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on July 07, 2018, 11:13 AM:
I keep the sugar to a minimum they go through two quarts per day ! Fixed income and all that !
Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on July 07, 2018, 11:54 AM:
Ok, thanx !!
Feeder will go up this afternoon.
Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on July 07, 2018, 12:09 PM:
One more question;
Does it matter if the feeder is in the direct sunlight or should I find a place back under the patio roof that's shaded.
It gets kinda hot at times down this way. 106* yesterday.
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on July 07, 2018, 12:29 PM:
There is something wrong with the access I use for photos and videos and I don't have time right now to screw with it. Makes me angry, besides.
Anyway, the operative word is "lots of sugar". But as far as I can tell, they aren't fussy, at all. Dob't know where you got the information, ko ko, but I think it's bogus? And yes, they can clean out several feeders in a day. Adding another feeder does not solve the problem, they can consume whatever you put out.
My son used to live with this woman up in Calle Mesa, kind of a mini ranch with lots of animals, 25 dogs, 35 cats, etc. Neither here nor there but he also had more than 20 feeders scattered around the barn and tack room. It's at this point when you realize there is no end to it, from the standpoint of "adequate".
Around here, we used to have strictly Black Throated, which is the western version of Ruby throated. Maybe 15/20 years ago we started seeing an occasional Allen's. Right now, I would say the split is maybe 60/40 Allen's/Black Throated. The Allen's are more aggressive. You can identify an Allen's from a Rufus by the back which is green on the Allen's, orange on Rufus. Of course, you can't tell much with the females, maybe a white eye dot, or white dots on flared tail feathers? Did I mention Orioles? Our's are the Western.
I don't really know what the "correct" ratio is? I mix up a pitcher according to X amount of scoops of sugar and fill it up and keep it in the refrigerator. As I said, they aren't that fussy, but they won't fight ants and bees, you really should have a gob of grease on the wire hanger or some feeders have neat trap you can fill with water....good luck AZ boys, that should last 10 minutes, or so?
Also, that red dye doesn't hurt them, I do add a drop or two to the clear bottles, but the red glass obviously, doesn't need any.
I've seen some amazing videos of hummingbirds around feeders, they don't land on my hand around here, but they can, and will buzz behind your head, if you don't get out of their way! Not to your face, but they can intimidate you from behind to get the hell away from "their" feeders.
That's all I got
Good hunting. El Bee
edit: doesn't matter, ko ko. In fact they like it if it gets a little alcoholic.
edit: to discourage an aggressive bird from controlling two feeders, don't bother to move them further apart. Even around a corner, he will find a branch where he can control both of them. they are smart.
[ July 07, 2018, 12:34 PM: Message edited by: Leonard ]
Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on July 07, 2018, 01:13 PM:
KOKO the feeder only needs to be accessible !
I like to put them where I can best see them !
[ July 07, 2018, 01:14 PM: Message edited by: Paul Melching ]
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on July 07, 2018, 01:36 PM:
Good advice!
A slight change of subject: I went in to get a shower, since it had been 114 earlier and is now 108. In shower, I heard what sounded like Arizona heat lightning?
Coming out to get dressed, it's raining! I didn't see that in the forecast? Why do I want to move? This is no different. Oh? The political landscape? Yeah, right. These bastards are relentless!
Good hunting. El Bee
Posted by Lone Howl (Member # 29) on July 07, 2018, 02:07 PM:
Word.
Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on July 08, 2018, 12:50 AM:
Leo I have a beautiful pair of black and yellow tanagers that cant stay of the sugar water! my wife sprays them with a water bottle as if that's going to stop them LOL they just enjoy the bath ! You are correct on the feeder situation I put out 50 lbs. of seed every two weeks could be every week if I let it !Many beautiful bids to see! many colorful finches !
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on July 08, 2018, 05:31 AM:
Gotta love your wife's solution! That's like Pinky. He goes literally apeshit when I spray him! He loves water. I sometimes set him out front on a hand truck in the middle of the yard and turn on the sprinklers, he gets drenched, loves it, "displays", (you know, like he wants in my pants?)
I have some stuff that got wilted in the heat, including my rare cycad. I've never seen that before? I tried finding out how hot it was Friday, no luck? I just know it must have been close to the proverbial "frying eggs on the sidewalk" HOT.
Good hunting. El Bee
Posted by DiYi (Member # 3785) on July 09, 2018, 05:30 AM:
Good stuff according to my wife who just read this.She is a 'bird nut' with many feeders out including 4 hummingbird feeders.She says we only have 2 types of hummies in this part of South Dakota but already forgot the names.Her main focus here is Orioles(Orchard and Baltimore),Gold Finches,House Finches,Cat birds and Red Breasted Grossbeaks.Her enemies are Grackles(sp?)and she uses up about a brick of 22 ammo a year trying to keep them away.
Anyway she said she mixes sugar/water at a 3 to 1 ratio and no longer boils.Just VERY hot water and vigorous shaking.
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on July 09, 2018, 07:44 AM:
Good post, DiYi. As another bird people, I salute your bird friendly wife, and also her direct involvement with 22 caliber sanctions. Around here, if I could, I'd do the same with the crows who rob the nests of our resident yard birds. They are, band tailed pigeons, scrub jays and THE most numerous, mockingbirds. The crows listen for peeps of begging nestlings, and clean them out, the only ones who vigorously resist are the mockingbirds, but the damned crows are persistent; they WILL be back.
I have a small indoor aviary and at one time had 25 various hook bills. Right now, Pinky rules the roost all by himself. He is a Moluccan Cockatoo, sometimes called a Salmon Crested. The pool man tells me that he can hear Pinky while at another customer, more than a block away. And yes, a different neighbor (with barking dogs) filed a complaint against him; which was dismissed, BTW. But, she has my phone number and does not hesitate to call, requesting that Pinky be confined indoors, if he starts getting exuberantly loud. Also, he doesn't like crows and airplanes, and let's you know it, but who does? He also alerts me when there is somebody at the front door, because I'm deaf and don't always hear the doorbell.
One thing I thought remarkable, about the eastern Ruby Throated Hummingbird. So far as I know, it is the only hummer native to the eastern US. They fly nonstop, across the Gulf of Mexico to spend the winter in Mexico. To me, that seems amazing, a tiny bird like that, flying nonstop hundreds of miles!
Good hunting. El Bee
Posted by DiYi (Member # 3785) on July 09, 2018, 10:29 AM:
Leonard to quote my wife after she read your response;"How cool!Please say hi to Pinky and El BEE."
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on July 09, 2018, 10:59 AM:
It's a known fact, parrots are selective, I don't know how they know it, but they are partial to one sex or the other. Not always, I guess? But, enough. Pinky likes girls. And, he chases my son all over the house. In other words, they have likes, and they also have dislikes. And, he is a bad ass, not afraid of anything; unless it's some strange little toy he never saw before. But, he will definitely put up a fight, he particularly hates my broom, attacks! He definitely has balls. A lot of parrots just sit on a perch and mumble, but Pinky likes attention, he has a personality.
Good hunting. El Bee
Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on July 09, 2018, 02:55 PM:
No doubt that Pinky thrives on attention. When we were there for a visit Pinky let everybody know when he felt he was being ignored.
Neat bird.
Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on July 09, 2018, 03:18 PM:
Out here we have the red breasted grosbeaks they are beautiful our neighborhood gangsters are the scrub jays they will come in in a group of fifty or more and decimate the feeder of seed ! if I Put out fat or other protein they are her immediately !The Black and yellow tanagers love the syrup. having a good time with the birds this year !
Posted by NVWalt (Member # 375) on July 10, 2018, 03:42 AM:
Don't want to throw a monkey wrench into the gears but when you post about shooting birds, bear in mind that ALL birds are federally protected except for starlings, rock doves(barn pigeons) and English sparrows ( house sparrows). I believe that collared doves are on the list now also??? and the rest are covered by game regulations. Seeing as we are ThrillBillies here I wouldn't mention any bird other than those three in a post. It is pretty clear that those grackles were mis identified and are in reality starlings..Right...
We don't need to inform any bunny huggers about anything not up to snuff...
Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on July 10, 2018, 04:03 AM:
when I lived down in the valley we had grackles what a pain in the ass !
Posted by earthwalker (Member # 4177) on July 10, 2018, 04:24 AM:
The lookout is a birders paradise.
Lanzuli buntings, mountain blue birds, golden eagles, kestrals, magpies, rufus sided towhees(sp?)
house wrens and hummingbirds, black chins, broadtails, rufus and maybe anna's. Can't get them to slow down to really figure the females out.
So many I finally had to buy a bird book and figure them out.
If you look real hard towards the fall you'll spot pelecans flying in the air.
Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on July 10, 2018, 05:58 AM:
Been so focused on predators missed a lot of other delights ! now I have coyotes howling outside my window and I just enjoy listening !
Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on July 10, 2018, 06:00 AM:
Don't get me wrong still shoot em !
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on July 10, 2018, 08:26 AM:
We never see pigeons around here, the nuisance ones; "rock doves". But we have a bunch of Bandtailed pigeons that nest in the tallest trees. They are migratory and come back every summer. I guess everybody knows what they look like, very close to the barn birds but they have a white stripe across the back of their head and they all look the same. According to my field guide, they are a half inch longer than the common pigeon, kind of a neat bird but very shy.
Paul can hear coyotes? For me, they better be very close, inside 100 yards or I wouldn't know? In the Army, we used to stick an empty .45 brass in our ears, never had actual earplugs. I'm sure I could have claimed a disability way back then but I was afraid it might delay my discharge, or what was actually called, "separation" and transfer to reserve status, since the total military obligation, (then, at least) was 7 years, total. I had this problem with stupid people telling me what to do, somehow, I wasn't cut out for the military? Oh well, it definitely has value. I think everybody should do 6 months active.
Good hunting. El Bee
Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on July 10, 2018, 08:33 AM:
My hearing is screwed mostly cant hear my wife could be selective! lol if there are two sources of sound I only can recognize one. wife TV oh well
Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on July 10, 2018, 09:05 AM:
Has anybody tried the Walker Game Ear ??
A friend of mine who's as deaf as I am swears by one for hunting. Said he uses it for a hearing aid sometimes too.
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on July 10, 2018, 01:38 PM:
Yes, that's a good possibility. I have seen them demonstrated, actually at the first campout, Tim Behle used one and it was amazing what he could hear and from where he heard it. Also, I think they are in the $350-$400 range. My digital aids cost over three grand, I think, maybe more?
But, being vain, I didn't like the idea of a shrimp behind the ear so I got the totally inside the ear canal model with ten different programs. Then I lost one engaged in bedroom gymnastics, didn't realize it until I was half way home so you call the housekeeping staff and ask them to be on the lookout for a tiny ear thingamajig, I'm still waiting to hear back from them. 2 years ago?
The big advantage for me was that I could actually hear the turn signal beeping by myself, rather than some female telling me; uh, your turn signal's still on!
Man, that killed me to lose that damned thing, but I wasn't going to wear just one. Honestly, they are an advantage, on stand. As if that's the only thing that matters? Possibly?
Good hunting. El Bee
Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on July 10, 2018, 02:04 PM:
Cool !!
And me with a whole bunch of Cabela's points on my card. I feel a road trip comin' on. Cabela's & Bass Pro Shop in Phoenix. May even hit Sportsman's Warehouse in Tucson on the way home.
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on July 10, 2018, 06:14 PM:
There used to be a guy on here, from Idaho, and he told me a way he modified a Walker game ear with a small tube and one of those yellow foam earplugs with a hole in the middle to stick the tube through. If all you want to do is hear and don't care if it looks a little creepy. What was his name? He sent me several calls he made fashioned from antler. Didn't use his name, on the boards, like Richard calls himself ko ko and me, bo bo.
Good hunting. El Bee
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