Beautiful picture of your flock! I am so envious. Thanks for posting.

No wonder I have so few; Frank is hogging them.

Frank,
I can't compete with that, but take heart midwesterners. I think I counted 7 at once tonight. I know for sure I counted 5 at once on one feeder. By the time I step back to look out the other window, chaos as the dominant male chases away others. Numbers coming back to normal it would seem.

I live about 50 miles down the hill from Frank in Riverside. My numbers this year are way down from last summer at this time. I'm guessing far less than half (maybe I'm feeding 30 birds).

This is probably do to the reduction of trees on my bordering property (lost 34 giant eucalyptus, 1 nesting willow, 3 nesting mulberry, and 5 or 6 elm trees, and severely trimmed white birch and maple.)

That's one humdinger of a humdiner!!! Table for eight please!! Sorry couldn't resist. Sarah

Amazing as allways!

Hey Mike!

I have an increase in hummers this year. Not sure why. I have lots of natural food available and two feeders. I have heard what sounds like a baby hummer in the tree out front lately. Nonstop squeak, squeak, squeak...

coronabarb

I am jealous. I'm lucky if I see two at once.

Richard

Usually if I see two, it's males "fighting"!
My female comes every evening, but so far no babies yet!
Soon, I hope!

glo

Frank,

Great photos as always :o)

With the 15-20 or so hummies that zip back and forth around the neighborhood I still only go through about 3 cups of sugar a week.

Have been thinking there's no way I'd be able to keep up with all the pounds, and pounds and POUNDS of sugar you use to make nectar each year!!!

Just think if you put out about a dozen of those little bitty insulin bottle feeders I put out...just when you'd get done filling the last one you'd have to go back and start again...and again...and again :o) --- and you'd be doing it 24 hours a day!!!

~ Cat

all I can say Frank and GrandpaMike....is WOW !!!!

I know my sons feeder in govt/housing in Murphy Canyon was always full, and I'd just die with envy LOL Have fun!!

Hello, I live in N.C. and have the ruby throats. There are 4 or 5 that come to the feeder but they fight constantly and never let more than one at a time drink. Is that just their particular habit, or do i just have bad mannered hummers? That picture is great!

I've noticed the same thing about Ruby-throats. When I lived out west the hummers seemed a little less confrontational. Because of that I try to grow plants on all sides of the house, hoping that out of sight is out of mind. Lately when I see more than one hummer in yard it is always one chasing the other away. Oh well, that's their culture.

"I know my sons feeder in govt/housing in Murphy Canyon was always full, and I'd just die with envy LOL Have fun!!"

In San Diego?

Great picture Frank. The number of hummingbirds you have always amazes me.

Yes, I remember watching hummers in Colorado. There was a state park near where I lived that had several feeders and they came in droves. If you stood between feeders you nearly got your head taken off when they zipped by you. At the bottom of Pikes Peak, at the railway station, they had several feeders and I was amazed by the numbers of hummers. In my yard if one is at the feeder and another comes, they chase each other around and won't come feed until one has gone away. Taking a pic with two in the scene would seem to be impossible.

Love that pic!

Deb in PA

Like Deb, I have seen those Colorado hummers, which were in fact my first up close and personal experience with hummers - particularly in that Pike's Peak area near Colorado Springs, Florissant, etc. There might have been some tussles between them but in general, it was every hummer for itself at the feeders with dozens at a time sharing. This as opposed to these Ruby throats.

I guess because they are so small that anything and everything could bother them (I watched carpenter bees, who are equally territorial, chasing my little hummer and she was barely bigger than them...lol). So like a little yap yap dog, they adapted themselves to be very loud and aggressive, essentially "attacking" before being attacked! LOL