Subject: [Tweeters] Question about hummers
Date: Jul 14 23:25:25 2016
From: Kristin - KristinStewart01 at comcast.net


The several male Rufous (probably at least 4) left our place about 2 weeks ago, but I still have females and youngsters, as well as resident Anna's of all ages. I was going thru 4 (glass, in an effort to avoid plastic)
feeders which hold about a cup each every day and a half. Now every 2-3 1/2 days, but I also have tons of hummer flowers now blooming in the yard. We have 5 acres, mostly native, not all planted in flowers, but lots of bee and hummer plants now blooming profusely in extensive beds near the house. It seemed to me the male rufous stayed around way longer than usual this year.

FYI: it has just started to bloom as an overwintering sort of tender perennial but Salvia "amistad" is a tall glorious purple salvia that hummers adore, and bees like. It has been available from Fred Meyer in mid to late June and among other attributes is beautiful! Salvias and penstemon are hummer favourites, and much to my surprise, so are red dahlias but I think they may be search of insects ?

Also most salvias and penstemons are really bee magnets: native bees, bumblebees, and honey bees! Plant them!

Kristin Stewart
Olympia


Sent from my iPhone

> On Jul 14, 2016, at 11:07 AM, Hal Michael <ucd880 at comcast.net> wrote:
>
> One thing that hummers, at least here (Rufous??) do is migrate upslope into the mountains chasing bugs and wildflowers. Looking for a dense food supply prior to migration. What's left may be the now-esident Anna's.
>
>
>
> Hal Michael
> Science Outreach Director, Sustainable Fisheries Foundation
> Olympia WA
> 360-459-4005
> 360-791-7702 (C)
> ucd880 at comcast.net
>
> I live on 5 acers completely surrounded by over 50 acres of forest.
>
> I have the same event happen every year with the hummingbirds that come to my feeders.
>
> In the early spring, I have many hummingbirds swarming the feeders. I have 5 feeders out, each with 6 holes. There are so many humming birds that they are swarming around tthe feeders like bees coming into a hive.
>
> In the early part of July everything changes. Nearly all the hummers dissappear. For the rest of the summer there are only 2 or 3 that come in and out on an occasional basis.
>
> I've lived in this house for about 19 years now and the same event has happened every single year.
>
> Can anybody help shed light on what's going on?
>
> Larry Baxter
> Camano Island
>
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