naturesbeauty,

I know exactly how u are feeling.....I had just about the same experience but 2 days ago my DREAM came true....HUMMERS....HUMMERS....I thought I was dreaming but my husband saw them too...I had worked sooooo hard and had been soooooo patient and never gave up and I am sooooo glad I did....

Have fun with your hummers as I am!!!!!!!!!

HELLO, I JUST SIGNED UP TO THIS WONDERFUL CITE AND HAD TO RESPOND TO YOUR BLOG ON THE HUMMINGBIRD. I SAW A HUMMINGBIRD IN MY BACKYARD TODAY, 10/23/07, HERE IN PALM BAY NE FOR THE FIRST TIME!! AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREEN FINCH OR A GREEN DRAGONFLY, BUT IT WAS DEFINITELY A HUMMINGBIRD. MY HUSBAND SAW IT TOO. WE TOO HAVE BEEN LANDSCAPING TO ATTRACT BUTTERFLIES AND BIRDS, I SUSPECT HE WAS CHECKING OUT MY FIRECRACKER BUSHES. IT FIGURES, I JUST RECENTLY THREW OUT MY HUMMINGBIRD FEEDER AS IT WAS RATHER MOLDY. I HAVE BEEN IN THIS HOUSE FOR 9 1/2 YEARS AND IN FL FOR 20 AND HAVE NEVER SEEN A HUMMINGBIRD. IT WAS VERY EXCITING!! I DO RECALL WHEN I WAS A KID MY DAD (RECENTLY DECEASED) AND I SAW ONE UP IN MASSACHUSETTS WHERE I CAME FROM, BUT THAT WAS "MANY MOONS AGO". MY DAD WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN HIM TOO. I HAD GIVEN UP ON EVERY SEEING ONE AND THERE HE WAS. I COULDN'T GET A REAL GOOD LOOK AT HIM AS IT WAS BEGINNING TO GET DARK, BUT I AM HOPING THAT HE FINDS HIS BACK TOMORROW SO I CAN REALLY CHECK HIM OUT.

UNFORTUNATELY, THIS YEAR FOR SOME REASON THE SPARROWS HAVE ALSO TAKEN OVER THE FEEDERS. I DON'T MIND, BUT THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN IN MY YARD BEFORE AND I'VE HAD FEEDERS FOR YEARS. THEY SEEM TO "GANG UP" ON THE DOVES, MOCKINGBIRDS, CARDINALS, AND TO SPITE THEIR SIZE, ARE A BIT ANNOYING TO THE OTHER BIRDS.

I ALSO HAVE AN AS YET UNIDENTIFIED, SHY BIRD THAT IS A BEAUTIFUL SHINY REDDISH-YELLOW COLOR AND THE SIZE OF A MOCKINGBIRD? HE FAVORS THE "RED POWDER PUFF BUSH" AND HIDES IN IT AS WELL AS EATING BUGS THAT ARE ON IT.

SORRY, BUT AS A NEWCOMER, I WAS JUST WONDERING, DO ANY HUMMINGBIRDS STAY HERE IN CENTRAL FOR THE WINTER OR IS THE ONE I SAW A MIGRATOR GOING FURTHER SOUTH? WHAT DO YOU THING? THANKS!!

I live south of Palm Bay in northern Indian River County. I have had a little hummer hanging around my house for a week now. Usually he comes very early in the morning, but he came back to my firspike just a few minutes ago. I was able to snap a picture through my screen porch. It's not very clear but at least I was able to get a picture. He is usually only there for about a minute and then off, so I was suprised to see him back even staying just a little longer.

Marilyn, I find with the migrators, they will zoom in for a quick sip them zoom away to a safe location...They may sit and watch and as they feel more comfortable will "sit" and sip for longer moments..But sometimes they never sit, just stay flappin and sippin...
The two that I still have, the one I took a picture of 2 days ago, will sit and sit and sip.."he'll" only move if one of the larger birds comes to the other feeders quickly, but once they've settled "he'll" settle back down..
Now the other one..much more shy...only comes about when the bird garden is relatively calm..
Today they were both out at different feeders, there were a few juncos and 2 mourning doves that stopped by last spring for the first time ever. Today they showed up again..
I love my bird garden!!!!!!!