This is topic The hummingbird ranch in forum Member forum at The New Huntmastersbbs!.
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Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on September 11, 2019, 09:44 AM:
I think I just made my last pot of bird juice for this year they are all but gone got few hangers on to feed !
maybe fifteen or twenty left !
[ September 11, 2019, 09:44 AM: Message edited by: Paul Melching ]
Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on September 11, 2019, 10:04 AM:
I'm not sure but I think your birds have shown up down here.
Not to worry ……………………… they're being well fed.
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on September 11, 2019, 11:44 AM:
We always have a few resident hummers, mostly black throat and Allens. When it gets rainy and snotty conditions, I see the little fellers ducked under the eaves, in the state they call "torpore" or something close to that? It's where their system slows down kinda like fish in ice water. It's like suspended animation, or let's call it half way suspended. They have a real hyper internal system in the summer, I'm still not getting it right, but they fluff up and ride out the cold weather. I don't know why a few, maybe 10% or so? they stick around and this is a critical time to feed them because there are no flowers in the winter, they are dependent on feeders. So, it's a responsibility that if you feed them in the summer and they aren't inclined to migrate, they have to be fed all winter, or they could die. I don't think they have the strength to fly south in winter, so they are stuck and we have to feed them. It's cute the way the guard the feeders but they really need them all winter long.
Good hunting. El Bee
Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on September 12, 2019, 06:18 AM:
I always have late departures but they cant hang with the winters up here ! They will all be gone in a week or two! This year was light we had almost no spring I've been feeding six cups a day ,last year it was nine .
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on September 12, 2019, 08:43 AM:
Good for you, Paul! Your little feathered friends will remember your generosity. They are amazing, nobody else, including bats can fly backwards.
But, like I have mentioned before and to me this is just astounding, that the Ruby Throated, (the only eastern hummingbird) flies across the Gulf of Mexico, presumably non stop to where they spend the winter in southern Mexico. I just can't wrap my mind around a little 2" bird flying hundreds of miles across open water to get to the warm climate of Mexico. The word, "amazing" doesn't begin to cover their amazing abilities.
Ruby throated and Black throated are as closely related as is possible, Black throated favoring west of the Mississippi and the Ruby throated east of the river. My Black throated are sort of picked on by the more aggressive Allen's, but they co-exist, mainly fighting between themselves for jurisdiction.
Good hunting. El Bee
Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on September 12, 2019, 06:03 PM:
Part of my plan for world conquest is to breed a species of humming bird that has about a four foot wingspan and can be trained to attack on command.
I may need to buy a sugar plantation.
Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on September 13, 2019, 04:09 AM:
I have Allens ,blackthroats, Annas And Rufous .
The Rufous have their way.
Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on September 13, 2019, 04:13 AM:
When I take the feeders down to fill them they will meet me at the door the6y have no fear of me I can stand between the feeders where I am inches from them they just continue feeding.
[ September 13, 2019, 04:14 AM: Message edited by: Paul Melching ]
Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on September 13, 2019, 04:25 AM:
I've noticed that; a couple of birds hanging around when I take the feeders down to clean & fill. By the time I'm back out the air is buzzing with them everywhere.
Totally cool !!!!
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on September 13, 2019, 07:30 AM:
If you want to have some fun, after cleaning and refilling the feeder, put it back where it belongs and then just stand there within a foot of the feeder. That buzzing sound behind your head is some little critter threatening to drill holes in the back of your head if you don't get the hell out of the way! They always buzz behind your head. I swear, they aren't afraid of anything. I've seen them buzz other birds 10/20 times their size, doesn't matter.
They sure are fun little critters! I wish we had more species, I rarely see an Anna's or Calliope, make my day!
Good hunting. El Bee
Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on September 14, 2019, 04:32 AM:
Sadly I have seen them sniped by hawks and owls so quick you barely see it happen. Not much of a snack but when yo8u do it several times in a day you could make a Happy Meal !
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on September 14, 2019, 08:50 AM:
No shit? I didn't think they had any natural enemies? You think of owls, a nighttime predator, and hummingbirds, which go to sleep when the sun goes down, and that seems so unlikely? Not doubting you, but I would never have guessed. There aught to be a law, big fine for owls harassing hummers. Write your congressman!
Good hunting. El Bee
Posted by earthwalker (Member # 4177) on September 14, 2019, 01:59 PM:
Our hummingbirds left the lookout first ofSeptember and the ones at the house about a week later. I had 2 four cup feeders and 2 2cup feeders and filled them about every 5.days at the height.
Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on September 15, 2019, 05:21 AM:
MY BEAUTYFUL BRIDE ALMOST CRAPPED HER PANTS WHEN A GREAT HONRED SOM BITCH SWOOPED IN AND GOT ONE OUR LITTLE BIRDS FULL DAYLIGHT ! SORRY FOR THE CAPS ITS DARK IN HERE ! AND I AINT TYPING IT OVER LOL
Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on September 16, 2019, 11:28 AM:
Bees.
Getting a swarm of bees around the feeders.
Suggestions ????? ![[Confused]](confused.gif)
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on September 16, 2019, 04:35 PM:
I'd consider using the Flying Insect Spray. I don't think it would bother the hummers? I've never had that problem. Ant's? Yeah, and grease the hanger is one solution, some feeders have a well that you can fill with water but you would have to stay on top of evaporation. But anyway, you have bees and they get inside and die and pollute the nectar so you have to take it down anyway, so leave it down for a couple days.
Good hunting. El Bee
Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on September 17, 2019, 04:12 AM:
I have wrought iron Shepard's hook hangers for ants I put a little Crisco around the base near the ground and sprinkle cayenne pepper liberally all around on the grease and ground at base works well, for bees I just feed them the birds don't really pay much mind to them .Don't kill bees ! I gets some wasps they usually don't make trouble and they are few .
[ September 17, 2019, 04:14 AM: Message edited by: Paul Melching ]
Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on September 17, 2019, 05:51 AM:
Amazing how fast those bees drained that feeder. I think that it may have been cross-threaded and the sugar water was seeping out. No problem with the other feeders so we'll see what happens today. Don't really want a swarm of bees on my patio.
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on September 17, 2019, 06:45 AM:
Yeah, bees have to behave, just like everybody else! Hard to choose between an insect and a cute little bird? Pinky says, fuk'em!
Good hunting. El Bee
Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on September 17, 2019, 09:59 AM:
Most animals wont predate a hummer the energy spent would be a deficit ! But the raptors waste no
time or energy !
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on September 17, 2019, 11:14 AM:
I keep waiting for some raptor to fuk with Pinky. WE have one around here, very unusual in a residential area but seems like he or she has been lurking for at least 4? years now. He's really after the band tail pigeons that nest in the area, meaning just this block because of the tall trees. He gets one every now and then, but the way Pinky stands out walking around on top of his cage is temptation personified. He won't go down without a fight, you can believe that! I think he's a little bigger; but so are the pigeons. They come back every year from somewhere to nest and raise babies, I'm sure, for more than 20 years now.
I have a girlfriend in Alhambra that always has pea fowl roaming the neighborhood, mostly females and juveniles. But they are very loud in the evening when they roost. Huge fuking bird, you wonder how they can fly? She's close to the Arboretum.
Good hunting. El Bee
Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on September 17, 2019, 11:29 AM:
The last I knew, the Valley Of San Fernando had a pretty good population of exotic birds that got away from Busch Gardens years ago.
Bees are pretty much all gone. Need to watch how I put the cheap plastic feeders back together when I fill them. Glad that they weren't the Africanized ones.
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on September 17, 2019, 01:11 PM:
You talk about a gluten for punishment! My son had this girlfriend who was running a rescue ranch because she worked for a Veterinarian and would always adopt the rescues. She had about 30 cats and at least that many dogs, horses and goats and a lot of native Live Oak on the property. So, my kid put up 25 hummingbird feeders and boy, did he have hummingbirds and epic fights, their is always a neighborhood bully that thinks he owns every feeder he can see from a strategic branch. Nothing but wasted effort, fights all day long! Somehow they seemed to drain the feeders between the arial battles. that's the biggest negative with hummers, they ain't very social.
Good hunting. El Bee
Posted by TRnCO (Member # 690) on September 18, 2019, 06:26 PM:
looks like the last of the hummers around here have vacated, didn't see a single one this evening at my last feeder that I have out.
Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on September 19, 2019, 05:17 AM:
I still have three hangers on hope they make it ! Feeder still has nectar !
Isn't cold yet !
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