Me too, I have only seen 3 this year so far. Sooooo disappointing. I think a lot of people are not seeing their hummers this year.....not sure what the problem is.

I live in IL, don't know where you are.

I am in PA. Has been a strange year. They came and then disappeared for a few weeks. Got really cold for PA for that time of year. Regulars every day now for a few weeks. Still less than last year, and aren't buzzing all over. Feed quick and leave. Figured it has something to do with our weather. Cold after they first came. Heat wave last 4 days. Saw a mommy bird carry her dead baby out of the nest from heat exhaustion. Very unusal weather for PA this year. Just glad I have the ones I do after the weather we have had.

I cant believe im reading this. This is the exact reason im joined up here. I have done everything ive ever done in the past (I am still using the red colored feed). I know its not necessary and prehaps even not the best but I bought it before I read anything about it not being the best. I dont think its the reason im not getting the hummingbirds to the feeder. I have seen one or two in weeks. My original feeder(new 4 weeks ago) was beautiful. Everytime I took it down to clean, i opened it up and it reaked of rubber (rubber ring inside the feeder to seal it). I put it out a couple more times and decided, "hey i wouldnt come to that feeder". So I blamed it then on the smell. I chucked it and bought another. I have only seen one hummer since putting that out over a week ago now. I have also place many red flowers for attraction. Nothing..
My question now is!! I also have a feeder for chickadees (and others) on the same pole (two hooks) about 2 1/2 feet apart. NOTHING. Not even chickadees, not one bird coming to the feeders..Should I move the regular bird feeder further away from the hummingbird feeder?? Its makes sense to do so but i really want to know if its affecting either one of the birds?? Thanks

PS...I am in Maine..

marci,

I don't think the feeders being close together has anything to do with it.

I really didnt think it was, but it is the first time they were somewhat next to each other. My bird feeder (for the chickadees)used to be on a nearby tree (one i could see from my deck door while drinking morning coffee..So relaxing!!But the neighborhood black bear pulled it down last year!!!
Ive been changing the nectar every two days, just to make sure everything is ok with that...Im baffled!!

I'm in east central MS, and still as of today, I have just one male and one female...it's just a mystery and since it is already SO hot here, I'm changing the feed every other day...

Just FYI...none of my hb feeders are anywhere near my other bird feeders, but I've never had them close together so I don't know whether that makes any difference...

Well, I keep waiting and waiting and waiting....I'm hoping any day now, more will start to visit...looking at all the threads, it seems a very unusual start for the hummer season for alot of us!!

Donna

Normally, we only ever get two h'birds a year. So far, I haven't seen them.

Last year they arrived on May 22. That was unusually early. Other years it has been towards the middle of June. Since it is now mid-June, I'm hoping they show up any day now.

zee

Even when they're back, you may not always see them right away. They don't stay in one place long! =)

Mine still aren't here, either. The latest I've seen them before was June 10th, so I'm hoping to see them any day now. I did have 2 migrators, one male and one female. But they are long gone. I do have all my feeders fresh and ready!! BTW, the chickadee's like to drink the water out of the ant moat on my hummzinger mini :) Christy

I too have noticed that I don't have as many this year as in the past. It seems that every year is less and less here in N. Georgia. Our spring was a bit chilly and I figured that might be part of the problem. As it got warmer my feeder got more and more populated.
Tony

Seems everyone is seeing fewer this year, at least at this point...still keeping my fingers crossed that more will arrive...

BTW, my two new hummzinger feeders have begun to drip...I read where these were favorites among many, and yes, they are easy to clean, so I have no idea what the problem is! any ideas???

Donna

I had 3 pair as of last week, my sisters each had at least 5 pair now we have none. What is going on? Where did they go? Is it the weather? Can anyone shed some light on this for us hummer watcher?

Hummzingers dripping?...the only possible way I could imagine that happening is if you're filling them over their capacity. Even then I'm not sure they would leak--the design simply won't allow it. Surely they're not cracked or were damaged in some way?...

If none of these are correct and you still have dripping, call the company. They have a lifetime guarantee. And then, please post back and let me know why they were dripping!

I was having the same problem as everyone else up untill about a week ago and then it seems I have 6-8 hummers in my area most of the day. This is what I expected about a month ago. I think we will all get them just later this year.

Mbuckmaster...I am getting ready to change all of my feeders, and will check the hummzingers to see what the problem might be...will post as soon as I find out...

Hummersteve, it's encouraging to know you had the same problem and your population is picking up...maybe it's good news for all of us experiencing this decline!

Donna

I am glad I am not the only one experiencing the hummingbird drought. I only have 1 female that visits. Normally by this time I have at least 4. I have also come to the conclusion that no matter how many feeders I put out I never have more than the 4. This year has been horrible. My plants are doing horrible, my hummers have disappeared, we have no rain, the grass looks dead, it's just not good.

People all around the country are asking the same thing. If they arrived later than usual their nesting pattern may have been delayed causing infrequent visits later than what we normally see. Hopefully things will pick up soon for everyone.

Penny

When I submitted my post I didn't see this one. I was asking the same question. I had one hummer come visit in April, but none since. Everything is the same as it has been in years past. So I don't know either. I had one lady respond to a local garden forum. I had asked if anyone had seen any in our area. She is about 10 miles from me and she has several.

Should anyone come across any "professional" (Science) response as to what has happened, I'd sure like to know.

I know there has been news for months about the decline in honey bees. Maybe there's a correlation.(?)

My cable/internet service was down a day and a half..so glad I am able to get on my beloved forums...I still have just the two and grateful for those...

I, too hope there is a hummer expert out there who has an explanation as to what might be happening...this is such a strange season so far!

BTW, my hummzinger is ok..I think a house finch landed and "rocked" the feeder, therefore causing what I thought was a leak!

OK...experts...speak up! What could be the problem????

Donna

I've had humming birds around my trailer every year, but I couldn't tell you exactly when I started seeing them each year, All I know is this year bought a two feeders and only saw one and that was about two months ago, kind of disappointing. I know the south was in a drought last year, In Tennessee it was really bad, Northern Georgia and northeast Alabama was even worse, I wonder if maybe that has anything to do with it. I wonder if maybe they are hanging out some where else in the United States because of the drought, We are in better shape then last year but I can tell we still need a lot more rain.
Keith

i'm near chicago and have only seen 4 hummers this past month, none stayed(waaaaaaaaaahhh)lol.can some one ship me a few?gonna have withdrawals soon.WHERE HAVE THEY GONE?

Coolaces...whoever ships them to you better "split" the deal with me...LOL...it's the middle of June, so maybe there is hope!

I'm in Central Florida and we usually see them pass through in Feb and March. Sometimes one or 2 pair will stick around over the summer but usually they migrate through here and we don't have them again until fall. But I have not seen any, not a single one, until this morning. I don't have feeders but I have LOTS of plants that cater to hummers and butterflies and I'm usually lucky enough to keep a pair - not hundreds as some of you have, but I'm happy just to have my 2.

Well, when I walked outside this morning, I almost collided with a hummingbird feasting at the porterweed! I was so excited!!! He stayed around for several minutes, battling with a bumblebee, then shot off towards the spot I know they've nested at over the past few seasons. I think he's here to stay. I hope he is.

Last year there were at least three in the back yard pretty much all the time. This year, I see one or none a day. Had many over winter here. When I saw a Allen's in the early spring, I thought it would be another good hummer summer. Not........

I usually have lots of them too, but not yet this year. Because of unusually cool weather, most plants seemed later than normal in blooming. Now, though, I have a few visits a day at my feeder but have only seen one bird one time feeding from my leptodermis. Normally they swarm around the thing all day in spring during it's heaviest bloom.

I have no idea why, but I have a lot less hummers this year.

Karen

Two words, everybody: GLOBAL WARMING. That's all the science this question requires. We are in deep doo-doo and the hummingbirds are just the proverbial canaries in the coal mine.

Ooh, Crazy just joined in!!!

My canary is still singing. I have more hummers this year than ever before...12-15 at the feeders at any time during the day. Perhaps the GW theory isn't applicable to everyone.

For the past decade or so I consistently have had 2-3 pairs and that is the same it is this year, sorry global warming advocates. They got here earlier this year, used to be around Mother's Day but I saw them peaking in the windows about a week or two before that belittling me because the feeder was not ready.

Ctnchpr...where do you live? I am sooooo jealous of your abundance of hummers...in fact, some of them are probably mine, so SEND 'EM BACK!!!! LOL....

I might have picked up one or two more, but it's hard to tell at this point.

Donna

Just a few minutes ago, I FINALLY saw our first hummingbird of the season. Thought they would never show up.

zee