Not really I think they prefer both I know they use the flowers and feeders as well. what color is your beebalm they seem to prefer the red here. How about canada lily? They love mine but I wasn't able to get pictures of them using it. They also love lonicera semprevirens alabama crimson the native honeysuckle also trumpet vine. And even though they aren't native to here salvia greggii. Salvia blepharophylla eyelash sage salvia guaranitica chiapensis patens and ugliosa. Sarah

Sarah's right, Chris. It's perfectly normal for you to see the birds more often at feeders, but that doesn't mean that they prefer sugar water to natural nectar. In fact, a scientific study comparing feeder attendance with flower abundance in the Rocky Mountains showed that in a good flower year the birds virtually abandon feeders. The problem is that an individual flower would have to pump out nectar at incredible volumes to equal the availability of a feeder, but most produce only tiny droplets of nectar that a hummingbird can finish off in a couple of licks.

Mine are using flowers almost exclusively - Bee Balm, Royal Purple, B&B, Cuphea Batface, Streptocarpella, Fuschia MG, ugly Shrimp plant

I have found that it really depends on the time of year whether they like the flowers or the feeders. Yes, this past winter, after all the plants died with our 6" of snow, they fed almost exclusively on the feeders. And in the fall, when they are getting ready to migrate, I notice them feeding heavily on the feeders. But throughout the rest of the summer, they tend to go to the flowers. Funny little birds, aren't they?

Yes they are Collins and such a joy for us.

Once my flowers bloom, the hummers use both feeders and flowers. In fact today I saw a female at the bat faced cuphea for the first time. There must be quite a bit of nectar in those plants because she stayed at each flower for the longest time. It was much longer than any hummer has stayed on a single flower of any of my other plants. I have had good success with Agastaches, Salvias, coral honeysuckle, Jacob's Cline (red) Bee Balm, scarlet runner beans, Cypress vine, cardinal climber, cardinal flower and even hostas.

Penny

I was just discussing this subject with my husband. Ours seem to be using the feeders exclusively. We saw them a couple of times sweep down and go near the flowers but nothing like the use of the feeders.

The hummies here frequent both...but they seem to go for the feeders more as the day progresses. Maybe because the feeders are in the shaded part of my yard and I keep them re-filled with fresh nectar?

I have also noticed they are checking out the flowers in the early morning - before the sun heats up. Is that because I haven't gone out yet to re-fill the feeders before I leave for work???

Will say though, when it's 100+ degrees in the sun they pretty much stay in the oak trees and zip back and forth to the feeders...or perch on the trellises to guard their feeders!

They also like spending time in the citrus trees - I think they are gobbling up fruit flies??? I see them darting about quite acrobatically.

~ Cat

I wonder if it isn't just a random thing, dependent on the habits of particular birds. It's been my impression that the young birds tend to visit flowers rather than feeders. Maybe I make lousy nectar, but this year the hummers are mostly using the flowers. Sometimes I go a whole week without seeing one at the feeder, and this while four plus hummers are around the yard. I'll admit I don't spend any time actively watching the feeder, there's just too much weeding to do, and when not weeding I'd rather sit by one of the flowerbeds.

Cat - I think you are right about the fruit flies, and gnats in general. A couple of years ago when a bander came to band my Rufous, she asked me whether I had a compost pile, to which I said yes. She told me that nearly all the stray western hummers she was banding in the mid Atlantic were at properties with a compost pile.

The last few days I've had a few different observations.

The female has been at the flowers; I haven't seen her at the feeder at all. She's been extremely sociable. If she sees me watching her on the deck, she flutters on over, just above my head, then goes back to the flowers. I've started talking to her ;) It's been a real thrill for me to see them at the flowers; this is my second year of hummers and my first year seeing them at the flowers. She's all over the 'Jacob Cline' and 'Claire Grace' monardas, Agastache cana, Salvia B&B, and Maltese Cross. She was also checking out the Rose of Sharon (maybe 'Red Heart'), but only briefly. She's also tried to get to 'Yvonnes Salvia', but the blooms weren't fully upright yet, so she moved on. It was a real thrill the other day when I was on the deck with my 4yo dd, and SHE had to tell me that the hummer was here. Normally my dd makes a lot of noise clunking around on the deck, so she's scared them off alot. Not anymore ;)

The male, leaves once he spots me, if I move. He's been visiting the feeder mostly, but I did get some shots of him on the 'Jacob Cline' and 'Marshalls Delight' monardas about 2 weeks ago. I haven't seen him on a flower since then.

My hummers go through periods of using the flowers mostly, then the feeders more. Depends on whats blooming. I have flowers on all sides of the house along with the yard, deck and down the stairs to the lake. I frequently run across hummers when I am watering or just walking around the yard.