I have trumpet vine growing in my backyard. I have hummers in and out of the yard all day long.
They often land on my clothesline when I'm hanging clothes out to watch me and I some times think as a way of saying "Thank you for allowing us to enjoy our meals here".

I had one this pass year that would fly up to the kitchen window when he came and would look inside before he'd fly off to feast on the trumpet vine. Kind of like he was ordering at the drive thru window,"One place on the vine self serve only."

Mine are still here, but not for long :-(

I have a bench under an arbor with clematis. If I sit real still the hummers fly all around me within 1 foot, getting nectar from the clematis. It's really fun!

I have not seen mine in 2 days. I think mine are gone for the year also.

This was my first year using a feeder. They have been in my yard in the past enjoying the flowers but this year I put up a feeder. Then I added a parasol above the feeder so the nector wouldn't get diluted and the hummers could be sheltered if it were raining. I think they really liked it. The feeder was outside my kitchen window. Throughout the summer, while my family ate meals at the table in front of the window, our hummer-friends would have a meal too. It was very cute. When the nector was getting old/empty, they would hover in front of the window looking in. We all truly thought they were telling us, "Hey, refill the feeder!...Where are you!?" So I would hurry up and get it filled. Then they would feast again and often stop and hover again...a thank you for doing as they requested! Lots of fun. Will definately do it again next year. The feeder is still full but no one stopped by yesterday. I'll wait to see today.... : )

Jim I am so glad you have had some memorable hummer experiences this year. The migration is still in full swing and I have three here right now. My last adult male left on Sept 1st. and the last adult female departed about a week ago. I have at least one juvenile male and 2 juvenile females but with the juvies until they start getting some of their adult plumage it is difficult to tell the males from the females.

Most of my adult birds this year were strictly feeder birds. They were definitely fast food junkies but once the juvies came on the scene both feeders and flowers were in high use. I have an old clothesline that we cut done to be used in a smaller area for the hummers and they loved perching by the door first thing in the morning after they had breakfast watching and waiting and several would greet me when I walked out the door. If I was replaceing a feeder with a fresh one I always had one come right up to the feeder as I was hanging it back up. They also liked to perch on that line and watch me while I mowed the grass or collected flower seeds. Several times they flew up to me when I was removing dead flower stalks to check out what I was doing. A couple of times I had a female come in so close that I could feel the breeze from her wing flapping against my cheek.

Remember to keep those feeders fresh especially when we have had the hot dry temps we had this summer. I never leave a feeder over two days as the nectar will start to ferment and if they do drink it, they can get sick. Often times they will just abandon the feeder.

Even if you think all of your hummers have gone for the season, please consider leaving those feeders up for at least 2-3 weeks after your last siting as there are still quite a few migrants north of us that are yet to head south. There are large swarms still in Mich and Wisc. and quite a few swarms still over in Ontario from what I understand. If you can maintain at least one feeder until we get hard freezing temps please consider doing so. There are more and more reports of out of territory migrants showing up all the time.

There is a Green-breated Mango Hummingbird that has shown up in Wisconsin whose most northern natural range is Mexico. Here is a picture of the Green-Breasted Mango. There have been Rufous in Ontario, Rufous and Calliopes in Pa. so you never know, a stray, out of range migrant could just as easily show up in NY.

They are just the most amazing little creatures and I am so glad to see the growing interest in hummers and including hummer plants in gardens

Penny

I haven't seen mine in the last couple days so I think they are gone also.

However, this summer my husband and I had a really neat experience. It seemed like our hummingbirds were really friendly this year. When we were out in the flower gardens they would come within inches of our heads. We had feeders in the gardens and they would visit the feeders while we were right there. However, the neatest thing was when this little hummingbird flew near us and kind of hovered for a bit and then landed on my husbands shoulder. I talked to it for a bit and then it flew to the feeder. It was almost like it was saying thank you for the nectar.

doggies,
It is neat when they feel comfortable enough to come up to you like that. We have a loooong wait now for the spring migration and their return.

Penny