Ours feed until about 8:00 or 8:15 PM here in PA. The peak time seems to be between 6:15 and 8:00. They are in and out of the yard all of the time - about every 5 minutes ore less we see one.

Charlotte

they'll come until right before dark. the only bird to visit later here is the cardinal.
hope you get some good sightings.

My latest visitor is usually about 8:15 which is late dusk.

Deb in PA

Peak time seems to be between 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

I've seen them after 9:00, after the sun has set. the earliest I have been up to look is at 6:30, after the sun has come up, and they are there as well. I agree the peak times are 7PM to 9PM and early morning. Happy sightings.

The latest I've noticed is about 9:00pm - and it's already dark by then...sometimes they stay a tad later about 9:15pm at the very latest even if I leave the backporch lights on (I have feeders hanging from my backporch eave). Maybe they prefer feeding at a more relaxed pace when it's slightly cooler as opposed to the 100+ temperatures in the daytime.

As for when they are up and at it...before the sun rises!!! I can hear them squeaking from my bedroom window anywhere from 5:30am to 6:00am!!! When the migration comes through...they all gang up out there and wake me up because they are really quite noisy :o)

Not sure if I prefer them to my two furry alarm clocks that have no snooze button on them either :o)

~ Cat

I've had mine come as early as ~5:50am and as late as ~8:45pm - in both instances where I am in my hi-rise, there's light from the sky to see by (where down on the ground, it would appear dark - particularly by any trees).

One night last week at 10:15 pm our 2 year grand daughter who was sitting on my DW's lap on the front porch during a heavy rain storm looked up and said look! there is a hummer bird and sure enough when the wife looked up there was a very wet RTHB watching them. I think she may have been knocked from her perch by the heavy blasts of wind and rain and came to the porch light seeking shelter. I was down checking the creek level and missed her vist but am sure she made it some how because she has been coming to all of the flowers. I moved the feeder from the back yard to the front porch and now she will go to hanging baskets and feeder then come to where I am sitting and stop within a foot or so in front of my face and when I talk to her she will move to the left or right a couple of feet never breaking eye contact with me. She will do this for quite a while and I will tell her to go eat some more and she will but return shortly to repeat the eye ball to eye ball game again. She done that three times yesterday morning. I just about laughed one time but doubt if that would have made any difference to her as she is a clown.

A couple of days ago I was going to the chicken house and got to within about three feet of some tall weeds that had pretty orange blooms and caught sight of movement and stopped short and there was the most perfect RTHB I have seen in a long time going from bloom to bloom and at times I could have reached out and touched it. the only thing different was it was no bigger than half of my little finger. So I guess I will make sure I have plenty of those weeds growing next year just in case they want to dine when a lot of the other flowers are about finished blooming.

I will try to get some pic's of these babies before they leave. We sure will miss them but will forward for their return next spring. HB's and BB's are on the top of our list. I love those babies a bunch.

Have a great day all.
James

James,

What a nice post. You must send pics. "HB's and BB's"...what are BB's?

Missed a great photo op recently. HB was hovering at feeder and our 5 m/o kitten noticed it and began creeping slowly forward to get a better look. HB spotted her, and flew in zigzag pattern back and forward, getting lower with each forward movement, until finally she was on eye level with kitten about 1' off ground. She hovered there, and they eye balled each other for what seemed like 15 seconds, until she flew off. Was so funny.

The peak time in our backyard at night is from about 6:30 til 7:30 (gets dark around 8:15).

James, ditto the above, your post was most enjoyable. Thanks for sharing.

Last night I went out on the deck with a cup of coffee at 7:30. I no sooner sat down, and my hummer came to within a foot of my face and hovered there for quite awhile. That was the first time I heard the "buzzing" of the wings....sounds like an engine.

Pam