Hummingbirds in your Campsite

[harleywolf]

ROFL. Thanks Wavery... after the day I've just had I really needed a good laugh, good timing.

Rick.

[wavery]

ROFL. Thanks Wavery... after the day I've just had I really needed a good laugh, good timing.

Rick.

I put honey in my coffee...

[BirdMan]

That is funny!

[Azusateach]

He's not after the honey -- it's the caffeine!!  That explains a LOT!

Laura

[wavery]

He's not after the honey -- it's the caffeine!!  That explains a LOT!

Laura

Actually........you're right Laura.........it's both. :-()  :yikes:

[campnagle]

Oh yes. I get them fighting and they buz by as soon as I get there, I think they remember me? I have a album of just humming birds at camp.

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2487027120043540764Gpsrly

[vjm1639]

I don't know how you all get so many hummers at a feeder at one time.  We have several feeders in our yard and they fight each other off.  Seems only one bird wants the feeder at a time.  They will sit close to a certain one sometimes and fight off any other who tries to land on it.   They also buzz me to let me know if it happens to be empty.  ;>   They are such fun birds to watch.  We have many flowers that the birds love too and also have several hummingbird moths!

[curryp]

No bird feeders at campsites here in the Adirondacks. A bird feeder would attract bears to the site and that is not a good thing. Most people don't put seed feeders at their homes in the summer as bears will come. I have had hummingbird feeders at my house with no problem but wouldn't put one at my site. The sugar might be just enough to attract bears.

At check-in to the state campsites campers are given literature instructing people that it is illegal to put out food with the intent to attract wildlife.

[jerkin]

We stopped feeding the birds at home because our cat stopped eating her regular food.  :yikes:

Not really - the reason we stopped is because the birds were being attracted to a hawk ambush.  They would hide for a while, but not seeing the hawk, would go back to the feeder...and become hawk dinner.  They were better off not being fed.  

I doubt any hawk would be fast enough to take a hummer, though.

It's been a couple years, so maybe the hawk has moved on.

Austin

I used to think nothing could catch a hummingbird either until I stumbled upon this website a few months ago. http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/backyardbirds/hummingbirds/mantis-hummer.aspx

I guess you don't have to be fast, just inconspicuous.

[AustinBoston]

I used to think nothing could catch a hummingbird either until I stumbled upon this website a few months ago. http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/backyardbirds/hummingbirds/mantis-hummer.aspx

I guess you don't have to be fast, just inconspicuous.

That is remarkable on a number of levels.  First, that a lone insect would take a bird; I know of no other insect that does so.  (There are spiders that will take birds, but spiders are not insects.)  Second, that they had the presence of mind to photograph it.  And third, that the posters were in West Chester, PA, where my newest son-in-law is from, and where his family still lives!

Austin

[BirdMan]

Vicki and Bill:

A not so well known trick to attract more hummingbirds to your house/feeders/area is to put out more then one feeder on different sides of your house.  The reason being is one male hummingbird will guard every feeder he can see.  A male will sit on a tree branch or close by and not let any other males around.

No matter if you have one feeder or several in a line on one side of your house one male hummingbird will guard them all from all other males.

Putting feeders on another side of your house (or every side of your house) will allow more male hummingbirds to stand guard.  They will still fight, but for only that side of the house or those feeders in sight.