It will be fine there. They are only aggressive towards each other and it is quite fun to watch. Do you know what kind it is?

SCG

If you are in New Jersey what you are seeing is almost certainly a Ruby-throated. The hummingbirds and the butterflies don't bother each other.

Buddleias are excellent plants for both butterflies and hummers. If you are looking for plants that attract both I recommend pentas, especially red pentas. Also, any type of porterweed works very well for both. I think these plants are annuals for you, however.

If you really want to get into attracting hummingbirds you should start looking into salvias.

Agastache works quite well for both, and it's perennial.

No problem, I have a LOT of hummingbirds that use many of the flowers in my garden - they don't bother the butterflies at all, seem to ignore them.

Sherry

If you have the ruby throated they are a very energetic, vocal species. It is going to be great fun watching them.

Not sure if you are aware but you can easily make hummingbird food. I mix 3 cups water with 1 cup sugar and bring to a boil. Refrigerate what is not in the feeder. It is advised to change/clean your feeder once a week, especially in the heat of the summer. Hot water is all that is usually needed but if really dirty use vinegar. Rinse very well.

They are great fun. Just wait till next year when they find your feeder in the spring!

SCG

Double post......

This post was edited by SouthCountryGuy on Wed, Aug 7, 13 at 12:06

Thank you all. I feel much better! I appreciate the plant recommendations, I'll be sure to plan for those next year.

I have only seen it twice now, briefly, but I don't believe it is a ruby-throated, based on what I've seen online. I haven't identified it, but it is a dark bluish-green all over, no white or red, and seems to be on the larger side. Its quite a sight and I hope to get some pictures someday. Very exciting!

All of the sites I consulted said to make the nectar 4:1, water:sugar. I change/rinse the feeders every day.

The plant that gets almost all of the attention from butterflies and hummers here is Lantana. There's a few around the yard, and 5 giant ones along the back fence, always covered with butterflies, visited constantly by the hummers too although they don't stay in any one place for more than a minute.

It took me a few tries to get our feeders where I wanted them. Wherever it is, the hummers should find it. When I realized that, I put one just a few feet from the window we can see out of when sitting on the couch. Commercials aren't so boring now, just look out the window, the hummers are constantly visiting that feeder. There are no nectar plants on that side of the yard, or in the next 2 neighbors' yards. If you want to be 'selfish' about the placement, try it.

For a few dollars in seeds, you can provide nectar with Basil, Zinnia, Coleus, without worrying about how they fit in the garden perennially, useful in any 'holes,' pots. I've also seen the hummers spending time repeatedly visiting Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender,' usually sold as a house plant (and easy to overwinter as one.)

(Took this pic for the pots but the Lantana is the giant stuff on the left. You can't even see, there's a fence that goes through it.)

Purpleinopp yeah I used to make it at that ratio but the hummers were so-so yet would flock to the feeder with commercially bought mix. Side by side they left the 4:1 ratio alone. So I boiled down equal parts of each and found more sugar in the commercial one. So I up'd my concentration a bit. I never did research to see if this was bad for them alls I know is they really like it. I will look into that.

Monkeybelle that description does sound like the plumage on the backs of ruby throated. Your going to really enjoy them!!

All we have in the east in spring, summer and early fall is ruby throats. I had the good fortune to host a rufous this past winter, sure hope he (and others!) return late this fall.

I used a 3:1 solution for my winter hummer. A hummingbird expert told me to do that, it doesn't hurt the hummers, and it's certainly better than using the red solutions you can buy, which DO hurt them - the dye causes problems. You can use either 3:1 or 4:1, they'll drink both, so I usually do something in between for my ruby-throats.

Sherry

Well I appreciate real anecdotes more, thanks! I think I'll put 'a little extra' sugar in there tomorrow and see if it's even more irresistible. South, I admire your determination to satisfy your curiosity (and ours!) No idea which kind are here, except that some are obviously ruby-throated. The others might be girls or young males I guess. It's a thrill to see each one, each time!

We have a bunch of ruby throats and they constantly battle each other (especially the girls) but they completely ignore all the butterflies who ignore them as well. I've also never seen them bother a hummingbird moth, which we have several of.

I did some research on Hummingbirds and learned that they can control territories of up to 1/4 of an acre and if you have more than one feeder then you should set them up and place the second or third out of sight of the first. I have a main feeder at my window and I see many wars between the couples. The female Ruby Throated is rather a dull grey on the chest side but has that beautiful irridecent (sp) green on her back.

Sherry, Ugh, he bought the "red stuff." When its gone, I plan to make my own...

Naturesfolly, I have less than 1/4 acre here, so we'll see how it goes with just the one feeder for now.

Purpleinopp, lantana is an annual here, it gets too dang cold for it to survive over the winter, and unfortunately the one I bought this year is a dud (bloomed once and that was it.) I tried to overwinter in my basement one year and it died anyway (and I learned I break out in hives when I touch it! So no more carrying armfuls of lantana for me!) I always grow zinnia, its a butterfly favorite that gets a lot of action.

I"ve been out of town for a few days and I can't wait to see what happens in the morning!

Thanks!
Sandy.

Hummingbirds can look quite dull if they don't catch the light correctly. We really only should see the ruby throated in the eastern half of the country. There are quite a few more species in the west, particularly southwestern Arizona. My DH and I went there for our honeymoon to birdwatch. You can see a lot of birds in that area that are not seen elsewhere in the country, because they stray over from Mexico. My DH got buzzed when he unwittingly wandered too close to one of their tiny cup nests. It scared the living daylights out of him! We also saw an enormous variety of gorgeous hummingbirds last year when we visited Costa Rica. I am sure you will enjoy watching your little visitor. I always consider it a pleasant surprise when one of them shows up in my yard.