Tess
I don't think you can have too many feeders I started with one and quickly added a second...one in back and one in front. I have at least 6 by mid summer not counting the small test tube feeders that I place in various locations. I can't say that I have as many birds as you but this seems to keep the ones I have very happy.

Penny

Thanks Penny! I just wanted some proof to show my husband as he seemed to think that 4 was more than enough. Well, not now actually, I made him come out last night and sit in the hot tub for the big dinner meal and he's a complete convert, he asked me this morning if I were going to pick up some more feeders today! :-) Its amazing and apparently when we are in the pool or the hot tub we might as well be invisible, they pay zero attention to us even though one of the feeders is less than 4 feet away.

I'm guessing that most of these (most I counted at one time was 16) are grabbing a meal as they pass thru and won't be staying the entire summer but I want to enjoy them while they are here!! Tonight I'm going to take a camera with me and try and get some pic's...they don't get really active until its dusk (7:45ish) so I'm not sure how well they'll come out but I have to try.

As long as you can keep the water fresh and the feeders clean, the more the merrier. I've gotten into planting for hummers. Salvia coccinea was great, Mexican sunflower was very popular also.

Given how aggressive they can be towards each other, and if you have a lot of visitors, I think it makes good sense to have lots of feeders. It's also a good idea to place some out of sight of others. That way, the shy ones can sneak a drink when the dominant ones aren't looking.

As long as you can keep up with your feeders and keep them clean, the more, the better.

That's my 2 cents.

Really bad picture quality but it's the best I'm probably going to be able to do if they insist on waiting so late to eat!

During the fall migration, from around the beginning of September to the end of September, I keep anywhere from two dozen to three dozen feeders out even though I have a yard full of hummer plants. When they are migrating, they will really go after the feeders. At the height of the migration, I am refilling feeders three times a day. In a month, I'll go through anywhere from 50 to 60 pounds of sugar.

During the spring migration, I only keep out about a dozen feeders since I don't get as many birds. And during the summer, I don't keep any feeders out. If we have a really cold winter, and I see hummers, I keep out a couple of feeders for the birds.

Wow! That's amazing, what dedication in keeping up with so many...I'd love to see that someday! I know that they do tours and things in the fall, maybe I'll check it out this year. I'm surprised non of them stay year round though. Do you know why that is?

I begrudgingly went Sunday as my niece dragged me to an Estate sale.
I love those sales but it was late in the day and I just knew all the "good" stuff was probably taken.

I am so glad I was wrong about that because I hit the mother lode---three Humzinger feeders that looked practically new (except for lots of dust)!

I washed them of all their dust. I added water and some blue food coloring (to be able to see the leaks) and let them set on the sill above the sink to see if there were any leaks. None.
Monday, the Humzingers soaked in a plastic dish pan with hot water and a bit of bleach. Tuesday they went into the dishwasher on gentle cycle. One final hand rinse and I filled them when they were dry and hung them out this morning. Now, I wait...
LOL

Monday I was given a blue and aqua Murano Glass feeder. I already had a very pretty swirly colored glass feeder in red-orange and yellow. With the Best feeders, the swirly glass feeders, the window suction cup feeders and now my Humzinger feeders, my back yard, just out my sunroom window looks like a hummingbird feeder showroom. LOL

I am sure it's like this for some of you---taking down the feeders just after dawn, getting them cleaned and refilled and put back out and sitting with my newspaper and coffee while waiting for the first set of breakfast buddies to arrive is MY special time, my quiet time. I cherish that time so having 9 feeders is a thrill for me.

All this to say: I sure hoped there wasn't a limit on feeders! LOL

Tess,
To get a photo like that with that many hummers in the frame is something I've been trying to do for weeks---Great Job!
I also wanted to take a closer look at your feeder and the iron background (trellis?) so I took the liberty of lightening your photo. I hope you don't mind!

{{gwi:981765}}

9! now I'm feeling positively stingy!! I'm thrilled you were able to do something with that photo...I am not quite technologically illiterate but its a very close thing!

Yes, those are trellis, hopefully will be covered in a few months with the morning glory vines that are below. I don't have a better picture here but I'll post one this evening.

Sounds like a great score with the feeders...I'm not having that great of luck this year finding the ones I like best. The one in that photo is ok but I know its best to not have any yellow. I've kept an eye out for bees but so far that hasn't been an issue. Last year Lowes sold these great ones that were all red that the hummers really seem to love AND they were easy to clean, bonus!

One question...I leave mine up for two days (unless they get emptied earlier) and clean/sanitize refill and put back out. Am I supposed to bring them in at night?

Clearly we're still working on the landscaping, we just put up the trellis this weekend and will need to anchor it to the fence but you get the idea.

Tess what a beautiful yard you have to work with. No you don't need to bring the feeders in at night.

Penny

I don't think you really CAN have too many.. as our friend who takes care of her tourists has shown. I currently have 5 though I think one of them, which was plastic may have oxidized or something to the point where the hummers don't feed from it anymore so I'll have to replace it. I want to get at least 3 more, one for near the greenhouse, under the walnut tree, one near the "beer garden" we are going to landscape, and another one to replace the one that doesn't seem to attract them. I'll probably get more.

I don't get tourists, though I do have seasonal visitors. Right now I have Allens's and Annas (the Allen's up in February and then go off in early summer to Mexico, they breed here). The Anna's stay all year.

I'm new here too! Hi! The nickname is what the site came up with, my normal nick on line is hummingbird, but since I am organic, this works!

My real name is Joy, and I live in the Santa Cruz Mountains, garden, raise alpacas, and weave, knit and spin.

Hello Joy and welcome. Sounds as if you are a busy lady. Do you spin the wool and weave and knit the yarn from your own alpacas?

Penny

Hello Joy and welcome. Sounds as if you are a busy lady. Do you spin the wool and weave and knit the yarn from your own alpacas?

Penny

Thanks Penny! I can't wait until everything settles in and does it's thing...our previous landscaping was almost wiped out in the pool dig.

Hi Joy, welcome! I'd love to see some of your designs and of course, your hummingbirds!

Hi Penny.

I've knitted with it, haven't tried weaving with it, it would require a much tighter yarn than I normally do. Mainly I just have it in bags :). I've finally opted to get the fleeces processed elsewhere. It's very tedious work.

Folks can see my weaving at http://www.dancinghummingbird.com/weaving. My alpacas are at http://www.mistymountainalpacas.com

Thanks for the welcome!