I am also a newbie regarding hummingbirds. I planted a butterfly garden and the hummingbirds are a glorious addition.
I need some help identifying what I thought was hummingbird...it was smaller than any hummingbird I have seen , almost what I would call a miniature hummingbird and it was either all over beige or peach color (it was at night when I saw it). My brother has hundreds of hummingbirds at his home so I am quite familiar with what they look like.

I couldn't take my eyes of it and it was feeding on a cleome in my yard.

Thanks for any help.

Thanks, CJ

CJ, you probably had a hummingbird moth, something I never knew existed until reading this forum!

Wow! I didn't know of such a moth either, but I'd be happy just to get the hummingbird to return. Ever noticed them having a preference for a particular feeder being in a particular spot...even if you put another one exactly like it back in its place?

Lora

It seems like those cheap plastic feeders beat out the artsy glass ones everytime as far as popularity goes! (Although I'm sure some posters may beg to differ.)

I have several different HB feeders and the ones that are flat saucered with an 'ant mote' in the center are very easy to keep clean and the birds seem to like them. I have several with the plastic jars from Walmart and they work well too. I move them around the yard and the birds don't seem to notice which one they are using.

Some folks don't use the flat saucered type because they don't hold enough nectar for their birds, but I should only be so lucky! I only fill our feeders with about a cup of nectar and that works for about a day or two.

I'm sure if you have a garden with lots of attractive HB plants you will have a nice population in no time. If you peruse this forum you will find loads of suggestions for popular HB plants for Kentucky. There are so many to choose from.

For right now, if you can find Tithonia/Mexican Sunflower plants at a local nursery, that usually draws the little birds (and monarch BFs) in to our place during August. (I wonder where you are in KY). I usually start our tithonia from seed in June, but sometimes I see the plants in the garden center.

Good luck with your Hummingbird garden!

Hi Lora

When you are trying to lure hummers into your yard you need to be consistant, fresh nectar, changed every two or three days using a mix 1part sugar to 4parts water, maybe even use 1:3 to get them started in your yard. Hummers can get used to a certain kind of feeder then you switch to another kind and might not use it. Right now migration is underway so in the next two or three weeks you should start seeing some hummers. But if its hummers you want you need to start making your yard hummer friendly by adding plants that they will use such as:

salvia coccinea-- lady in red, black and blue
agastache-- rupistris, tutti frutti
honeysuckle-- coral, goldflame
cuphea -- david verity, shumannii[orange cuphea]
monarda bee balm--- jacob cline

those were just a few suggestions there are many more. the better and more hummer friendly you can make your yard the more hummers you can draw in.

By the way since the rubythroat is basically the only type of hummer that frequents the eastern half of the country I doubt seriously the other bird mentioned by your mother being a hummer.

You definitely should never go two weeks without cleaning and refilling your feeders, not even when it is cold.
Any new person to Hummingbirds can do an online google search and get TONS of information on what to do to attract them and keep them in your yard.

I never go over two maybe three days without changing the nectar out in a feeder. If it has been raining a lot or is very humid I will change it within two days as the nectar will ferment quicker in humid weather wheather it is hot or not.

I also don't bother with the expensive feeders. The cheaper ones seem to be the ones they use the most.

Penny