I have to agree with you the last couple of nights they've been constantly feeding and chasing each other. The only problem I have is when I'm out weeding I hear them buzzing by me but can't usually find them (I think I need new glasses) They are out today in the rain too but at the feeders. Sarah

Ward - I have to agre with you also,,,,, my regular little hummer only comes in the early a.m. and at 7 p.m......but today he's been here all day..... makes you wonder if they know more than we do !!

Mine has been coming basically all day long (the earliest being ~ 5:40am and the latest ~8:45pm) every day now for over a month. She usually comes in 20 - 40 minute increments like a clock... But the past couple days she has been coming as often as every 10 - 15 minutes. I'm sure they are very much sensitive to the atmospheric changes!

mine never seem to come in the rainy weather - and never late either. But the tropical garden is finally all planted, and should take off if it ever warms up (be careful what you wish for, right? we don't need too many days over 90) and should be ready for the young ones if any and the fall migrants.

Lisa

I think that ya'll are right about them knowing. I think all the animals and creatures know when there is about to be a dramatic change in the weather.

Ward there is nothing like enjoying your garden in the late afternoon.

ward - as a followup about "visiting"... Just this morning, mine briefly left the feeder to check out some of the other things I have out here on the balcony. She knows about the goldflame honeysuckle that is starting to bloom again but then she actually flitted over to my stephanotis (also called a "Madagascar jasmine") which has been blooming for the past month and is still producing new flower clusters much to my delight (I really need to pot it up to a bigger container but I wanted to wait until it was mostly done blooming). She actually stopped and checked out one of the flower clusters, where the flowers are tubular and a supposed hummer attractor (I expect for some species), that looks like this:

She actually initially zoomed by it and then doubled back to take a look as if to say - "Hey, what's this?". Then she zipped away. I still haven't seen her at the B & B, although that is down low and I wouldn't really be able to see it unless I was outside at the time. I have an agastache still in a gallon pot nearby that I need to put in something more "permanent" and visible so that she can check it out too.

Ward - That is an interesting observation you make. Our hummingbirds seem to come around more just when the rainstorm is letting up. Other birds activity seems to pick up before the rains come though. Are you seeing any baby hummers yet?

Jenny - that is a beautiful stephanotis and as I recall, has an intoxicating perfume. How long have you kept it in the pot and do you keep it outside all year? Ruth

I think that animals can sense changes in atmospheric pressure, like they have built-in barometers.

I have been outside moving sprinklers and stopped to listen for any birds. There were plenty of them just singing away. The first of the week my yard was filled with so many butterflies but today there are only a few. Haven't seen a hummingbird today either.

Ruth - I've only had the stephanotis for going on 2 years now and repotted it once so far. It's overdue for potting up again, if anything due to all the 3ft tall supports I have in its current 8" pot and they cause it to easily tip over. Since it is a tropical, can't keep it outside all year but it's loving the warm summer weather while outside at the moment!