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hummersteve

Migration in full swing

20 years ago

The reason I say this is for most of the summer Ive had only 5 or 6 hummers, but the last couple of days its like they are flocking here. I saw at least 12-15 hummers and I dont have many flowers, but 3 feeders and as of yesterday I still saw a couple of males and the rest females and immatures

Comments (7)

  • 20 years ago

    Where are you located? I'm in SE PA. I've seen three hummers in my yard a few times, but not this past weekend. Now the cardinal flower is in bloom, but there hasn't been any activity that I've seen.

  • 20 years ago

    HI pinwheel

    Yes Im just south of Indy. It now seems like some of the birds have moved on but , there is still several here. Thru the day I see 3 or 4 at different times but in the evening time ive been having around 8 hummers. I have 3 feeders 2 window and one hanging on yard light and at times I will see one on each feeder or maybe two occaionally. From my pc window I can view all three feeders, awesome. I dont have digital or would post some pics. I have a male who likes to sit on the yardlight and guard that feeder, cute. In the evening I like to sit in the yard and watch the activity . Right now as I type this its about 3:00 and one is on window feeder and one on yard feeder as I sit not two feet away. Im not sure of the migration route but I would think the birds from PA would go down thru the tennesee valley to the gulf of florida and the birds I see may come from the upper midwest and go towards mexico, only guessing

  • 20 years ago

    i'm in ft wayne in and i have seen at least2 in my backyard yesterday

  • 20 years ago

    Although I expect they let the prevailing winds direct them, particularly when storms are on the way, I don't see why the birds would go further inland due west against the normal W --> E jetstream, to cross 2 states in order to then migrate south when they can just hug the east coast along the Atlantic Ocean and head through the Carolinas, and Georgia, to get to Florida, etc. Some of the largest bird migration stopover points are here in SE PA at Tinicum and in S. Jersey at Rancocas and Cape May. In spring, the coastal route is one of the earliest routes heading towards Canada, although supposedly the fall outmigration routes tend to be different.

    I am glad to still have 2 females coming here as of today and consider them bonus days at this point!

  • 20 years ago

    Jenny--So far today Ive only had two or three female visitors although, one window was empty, it was low last night. That indicates they were feeding good early today. Some people have said on here that their hummers do not perch but mine have all summer , therefore making easier for me to know the visitors that come in and only flutter. I know a lot of people dont have perches so they can take pics. I feel like they will stay at the feeder longer if they perch. But Jenny that magical sound and fluttering of wings for which hummers get their name, will soon be gone for another year, but they will return, thank goodness.

  • 20 years ago

    Luckily I'm up in the mornings when they show up and with the shorter days, the first has been coming around 6:20 am, just as it starts getting light before actual sunrise.

    I have tried to create places for them to perch up here and it's been fascinating to have watched them carve out my balcony as a territory, aggressively staking their claim from their selected perches. When I had added a 2nd feeder, they had to rearrange their whole perch strategy in order to cover 2 feeders! LOL This gave me some ideas of how to arrange things for next year.

  • 20 years ago

    Jenny, there have been nights when I was still up on the pc and I heard that magical humming sound at my window and it was 6:30am start early dont they. Yes its amazing how they will adapt and carve out their territory even if it is eighteen stories high. As Im typing this to you there are two females fighting in my yard right now. I have an elm tree in which the like to perch and survey their territory. But its not like a month ago when when there might be 6-10 hummers in my yard jockying for position.

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