I just got my new feeder out today that my kids gave me for Christmas. I have never tried attracting hummers before, but am determined to try this year. Do you mix your own nectar? I'd like to hang it outside my kitchen window where we can see them from the table. Can I hang the feeder from a shepherd's hook?

Becky

Becky,
I use the mix that you buy. I have one feeder on a shepherds hook in the garden, and one hanging off an upper deck by my patio door.

Lee

Becky,

Yes to hanging em from the shephards hook. Usually have four feeders hanging here from shepards hook and one that attaches to the window. So far though only got one up and haven't seen a hummingbird yet. Do have orioles though. Will get the rest up tomorrow. Usually make my own nectar. Four cups water to one cup sugar.
Let us know when you see one at your feeder.

Suzanne

This must be the year for Hummingbirds. I've seen three in the yard already this year. It seems early for them. I stopped feeding them a couple years ago. They never liked the feeder. I plant alot of the flowers that attract them. In summer its rare to be in the yard over an hour and not have a hummingbird check me out. Often, when I am sitting on the patio, they will be feeding. Then fly about about two feet from my face and look at me then back to the flower, and back and forth. Here is a fun pic. Can you find the Humming bird?

Saw my first one today. So of course had to put up two more feeders. One on another shepard hook and one on the window. Speaking of the window one, there is one at it now drinking. Will have to learn how to post pictures here.

Well, I bought a shepherd's hook tuesday, put out nectar that night about 9 pm, and at 7 am the next morning, I had a hummingbird at the feeder!! I was so excited. Today (Thursday) I saw a hummer three times before leaving for work...don't know if it was the same one or not. Plus there was an oriole sitting on top of the hook, (I've never seen them around before either) so I put out an orange half for it. I'm guessing these birds have been here other years, but I just didn't pay attention!!

Becky

Becky,

Is amazing to find what birds are actually around your area. Two years ago we had a pair of yellow headed blackbirds visit us. Is so neat to see a type you haven't before. This year we have two to three pairs of orioles.They prefer the grape jelly here than the oranges, and now so does the red bellied woodpecker.Just saw him in it. *smile( No wonder we're going through it so much faster. LOL) We just take an empty washed pop bottle and cut off the bottom and put the jelly in it and set out on the deck rail . Or the other method we use is an empty tuna can. Either way is great for there easy to wash and refill.

taitai, how do you post pictures?

Hope your all enjoying your weekend.
Suzanne

Taitai, hope this works. If so its "Fred" and his friend "Hummer".

Here is a link that might be useful:

Saw a hummer at my Wine & Roses weigela last weekend. I saw the branches swaying with no wind and thought, "What the heck?" Then, I looked closer to see what was making the branches sway. There he was, my first hummer sighting of the season.

Last year, they came to our pond and drank from our waterfall. What a sight to see these small birds sipping from the 4-foot waterfall. I just love those little guys.

Dig

It's weird, but I haven't seen a hummingbird in the areas I've lived in since I was a kid. My folks had a weigela for years in our yard and we always had hummingbirds there. When I was a teen the shrub died and I haven't seen one since in this area. But we see them on vacation when we go up north. I love watching them. I have plenty of flowers they would love where I live now, but in the 10 yrs we've been here they haven't come. But one thing we do have here is the hummingbird moth. They are as fun to watch as a hummingbird. I've only seen them at dusk though. But I really enjoy it.

Kat

So...Plant a weigela?

Dave

I just don't have an area for a weigela, Dave. I love the looks of 'Wine and Roses' but they don't seem to make it thru our winters very well. I have a lot of other flowers that hummers love though, but they just won't come here. :( But I love watching the hummingbird moths.

Kat

That's so strange Kat. Whereabouts are you anyway?

Franklin here.

Dave

Kat,
I too get the hummingbird moths, mostly when my tall garden phlox is blooming. I have had up to three at one time on the plant in the middle of the day! Another name for them is hawk moth, sphinx moth, also heard them called hummingbees!! Sometimes you can get within a foot or so before they take off.

Lee

Dave, I'm in Oak Creek. Grew up in Milw. and also lived in Cudahy for years. Just never saw those little birds around except when I was a kid.
Lee, I have phlox too and the hummingbird moths love those. They also loved the cleome when I grew it. This year I don't have it though.
I'm going to keep a sharper eye out this year though. Maybe I'll get lucky.

Kat

Had a hummingbird get stuck in our screened in gazebo that is on our deck. Took a few pictures while getting her out. She sure was getting a yelling from another hummer. Like he told her not to go in there. LOL Will try to post a picture of her. My son was trying to stand still hoping she'd land on him, but she only wanted to try and get out. Maybe some day he will be lucky to have one land on him :)

Can't remember how to post picture. Only done it once so far. Have Photobucket, now how do I get it to post here?
Any help appreciated. Thanks.

gardeningmomof3,
Go to your photo bucket account and select the picture. On the bottom of the page there is a button to click that says generate HTML and IMG code. Then copy the one that says (HTML images for Ebay, Livejournal, MySpace, etc.) Then paste it into your post. This will put a picture directly into your post, not a link.

Lee

{{gwi:1352514}}Â Â

My niece sent me this link, though some of you might be interested in seeing the development of a hummingbird from egg to first flight. There are about 5 pages total, so click next on the bottom of each page.

Lee

Here is a link that might be useful: Baby hummingbirds

Here is a picture of hummingbird moth or hawkmoth. Fast little guy, hard to get a decent picture. He is on a garden phlox. He also loves the beebalm and the garden phlox "David".

Lee

I was so excited to see my first hummingbird of the year a short while ago! I was a bit late putting up my feeders but finally did around noon and it didn't take long at all for them to find them! I love watching these amazing little creatures and am very happy that they enjoy visiting me quite often throughout the day. I always look forward to their arrival here in Green Bay.

Becky,
You had asked about what to feed the hummingbirds~just use regular water and table sugar at a ratio of 4 parts water to 1 part sugar. I boil 4 cups of water then add 1 cup of sugar~ allow to disolved and cool. Once cooled, I just pour some into the feeders (usually about 1/4 to 1/2 way) and hang them out. If I have any left over I keep it in the fridge in a clean milk jug. I have one feeder hanging outside my kitchen window. I screwed a hook into the fascia ~ added a chain to the feeder and let it hang (I get a lot of visitors at this feeder!). I have 2 others that I hang from my deck and those hang from shepards hooks. One I screw right into the side of the deck and the other is the type with a bracket you tighten onto the railing.
I hope you have great success with your feeders and I hope I was somewhat helpful?!
GL

our humming bird feeder was empty yesterday, so this am we filled it up with sugar water. Within a matter of minutes the hummingbird was back. Unreal. Now if only I could see those orioles. I've only seen them at the feeder twice, but the feeder is empty. Do they feed only early in the am, so maybe I am missing them.

Does anyone ever see them in the Milwaukee area?
I'm redoing the yard and was thinking about trying to plant some flowers that would attract them.

I'm in West Allis and only seem to get them in spring and fall. My brother in New Berlin gets them year round.

tj

Ok. I'm actually in West Allis too.... Guess It's worth a shot then.... What do you have planted that they seem to like?

Canna Lilies are their fave by far.

tj

This is a late post, but mine love bee balm.

My garden that has most of the hummer attractors is hard to see, so I'm not sure what else they're hitting. I do have feeders in the back that are easier to see, right near a big picture window and 2 smaller ones near it. I have 3 kinds of feeders, and they hit them all fairly equally. Two are small ones that hold about 2-3 ounces and are on a little stick hanger that pokes into my hanging baskets.

I mix my own food, 1 part sugar to 4 parts water (usually 2 cups sugar to 8 cups water and then I save about half in the fridge). I just mix it with hot water, sometimes microwaved, but hot water seems to dissolve just fine and doesn't sit around too long anyway!

I use a Pyrex mixing cup and fill it up to the 1/4 cup mark with sugar. Then I fill it up to the 1 cup or 1 1/4 cup mark depending on how strong I want to make it. In the Spring and Fall I mix it stronger since they're migrating. Then I stir the mixture with a spoon, microwave it for 1 1/2 minutes. Then I stir again til the sugar is dissolved. Then I just wait for it to cool and refill my feeder. I just have one small feeder and I refill it every 2 to 3 days. I see hummers at it daily. What a treat! Oh, and I also have bee balm planted for them and just yesterday I saw one drinking from a hot pink petunia. They sure are fun to watch.

Who is.. going to be the last ONE to see a hummer this yr?

Saw one today.. the 15th. Last yr the last one was Sept 22 here.

I think I can assume I won't see any more this year. Sept 27 was the last time one visited my yard this year.

tj