Don't think it was one of mine, Mel..... at least, I haven't missed any. Thought maybe some of yours had moved over here. I am glad for you ..... they will be flitting around and fighting before you know it.

I'm so thrilled!! We have hummer wars! I thought I'd have to wait years to build up the hummer population in our new back yard but it took less than a day for them to find the feeders and by the next day the war was on.

By spring there will be even more for them to fight over.

alright! - now you're just braggin!
~ freshair

and?????? :)

You would too!

I honestly thought it would take me several seasons to build up a hummer population here.

I think if you'll check, you'll find J.D.'s brand up under their little wings. He's not going to be happy with you rustling his hummers!
Jim

Oh, gee, Jim, now you've done it. Mel, I won't tell him where you have moved .... honest !!!!

I was just sitting here minding my own business... they showed up. Was I supposed to shoo them away? :)

If JD wants his hummers back he can come and git 'em!! But he has to prove to me they are his.

Yesterday (twice) a hummer came right up to the back porch while we were sitting out there!! I mean it was 5 feet away and checking us out, it darted in and out of the porch cubby!
We (dog, hubby and I) were shocked!

I couldn't be happier unless I found a nest!

I have one that comes to the bay window and looks in at us at the breakfast table. He may do this several times a day as if to ask, "what are you doing in there?". They are so much fun to watch. Let me know when JD comes to check on whether they are his or not...... I truly do not want to miss his trying to catch them to prove it.

LOL, well I would truly love to see that also

Mel, congrats on your new backyard AND your hummers I know how excited you must be to have *wars*. You have wanted more/some hummers for so long

Enjoy

BTW, When did you move and what is the garden like?
Trees?
jolana

Tee hee - we just (like 5 min ago) had a hummer check out the new feeder I just hung outside our kitchen window & he did the same thing - it really seemed as if he were looking straight at us & checking us out!

Do you think I'll inherit your orphaned hummers? :-) This one was small and lean & almost greenish on his back. You're probably the reason I haven't had any all this time!

~ freshair

Jolana, We've been here almost 4 weeks now. Much larger yard and yes it has trees, but its mostly full sun here.

Amy, I sure hope you are getting my hummers!
The new owners said they were going to hang their feeders.
I told 'em to hurry up cuz these guys hadn't been feed since I moved out. :)

we're gonna play around with a couple of online homemade hummer feeder plans later this week

andrew and i both have seen them on our orange bells in the front yard & our neighbor's turk's cap

~ amy

Cheers for Amy and her hummers!!! I swear mine knew me blocks away from the house. We'd make eye contact and they knew me and I knew them even while I was in the car turning the corner!! Honest. :)

Amy,
see if you can get some of that turk's cap and spread it in different areas of your yard. You won't be sorry. Also get some autumn sage.... another that they just love. It will stay green year round and you can keep it small and mounding by cutting it back (a good whack) each time it finishes blooming. It does well in full sun and part sun. In dappled shade it struggles, but will grow and bloom, just not in timing with the others. Its probably not worth the space if you can plant something else in that spot but I liked that it was evergreen in my yard even in shady spots.

mel,
those can't possibly be my hummers. Mine all have ear tags.
J.D.

Jim, wouldn't you know JD would come up with some unique way of identifying his hummers?!!!! I, too, thought he kept the branding iron hot ...........

Maybe, I only uses the branding iron on the Whoopers.
Jim

JD
How do you find their itsy-bitsy ears? :)

I still want a pic of his "branding" them..... no matter which method he uses. And you are probably right about the WHOOPER, Jim .... more room for a branding iron.

I've found, when branding whoopers, do NOT put your phone, address and name on them. Lots of people in brown and green uniforms show up. There's lots of screaming and hollering, handcuffs, billy clubs and the like. Really poor sense of humor - those USFWS folks.

Mel
It takes a keen eye, steady hand, and really small little chutes. Hummer ear tags are way in the back at Tractor Supply - tough to spot.

J.D.

Can I come watch you do it? Pretty please...I'll bring hummer syrup.

mel
dang, I forgot to post the date for this year's hummer roundup and rodeo. I'll post it next year so you all can come.

hummers chasing a clown in a barrel is quite entertaining.

J.D.

will it include the mosquito roping this year?
~ freshair

Oh I so hope so Amy!

JD, I look forward to next years' hummer round up.
Will there be a dance afterwards?

jd: who do we talk to about entering the red koolaid drinking contest? i heard last years' champ moved up to high school & says that isn't cool any more, so my 13yo might have a fighting chance

I'm waiting for the Justin Convention Center and Casino to be completed before final plans.

I'll keep you all posted. I'm sure it will be on the news.
J.D.

JD: uh, don't y'all need to get a 2nd redlight first?

i officially (i think) have my first regular hummingbird visitor - he's (?) a black-chinned & has a routine already - he drinks from the feeder, sits on a dead twig on my vasey oak on the house side for forEVER, drinks from the feeder again, then takes off

~ freshair

Yep.. you got a regular. If it makes it through the migration/winter/migration back you'd better have that feeder up before he gets here! He'll come right back to that spot looking for it.

oh boy, oh boy - i'm tring to load up on hummer plants so i'll have a reliable smorgasboard & my forgetfulness won't spoil things
~ freshair

Lots of hummers this week. I think they are starting their winter migration.
Tally HO!

Tally-
I was just about to post a thread, 'Look out Below!' directed at you and Jim and the rest of you zone 9 guys. I have more this morning than I've ever seen (since I started 'humming' in 2006. Almost like a swarm of bees! They're content to share the feeders too - MUST be travelers!
J.D.

I am having the same thing, JD. I am sure these are travelers and they have almost emptied my feeders this morning. DH and I sat at the breakfast table and watched them .. they ofter come up to the bay window and look in at us.

I've been gone a week, but did come home one day to change the feeders...Lots of activity here haven't seen any sharing the feeders yet, one is still guarding them.
I think by mid Sept most of them are gone, and we only see a few stragglers here and there after that.
This year I'm going to try to mark the calendar when I see the last one. It will be interesting to see for sure just how late the last one comes through. I usually leave the feeders up until around Thanksgiving just to be sure. How late in the year do you guys leave yours up?

You know, I remember this last year. I got all excited about seeing so many hummers that I filled everything up and only had a straggler or 2 the rest of the fall. I can't remember my last one last year either, mel.

So far this morning.... nothing. not a one. :(

I usually have seen several by this time of the day.

the little cool front coming down this weekend might mark the "end". I had several yesterday evening, but nothing like day before - SWARMS!

I filled only three of my feeders again yesterday, and have not seen a one today......