Mrs. Buddy (aka the 90% that does all the work) is back - multiple times.

I saw one Baltimore oriole this morning come to one of my hummingbird feeders then checked out another feeder. I don’t if it was a male or a female. I took out a flower out of my hummingbird feeder so maybe the oriole will come back.

Love this forum! Wish I found it sooner than this year LOL.

I was wondering if I was a weirdo because I love hummingbirds, named my two regulars and acted like a mom LMAO!

I just put in my first map entry ever! My son came to me and said, “Mom, I think it’s funny how hummingbirds sound like bumblebees.” I was on a tall ladder painting a high ceiling over a staircase and at first I just said the typical, “Uh huh.” Then it occurred to me what he was saying. I checked and double checked and triple checked and he insisted he did see a hummingbird right at the feeder outside the kitchen window, and he saw drinking from the feeder. Hooray!

Congratulations to your son who has his priorities right! And they do sound like bumblebees.

Claire

Taquito!!

I don't have a very good camera like everyone else, just happy I can take a pic!

Oh, happy day - I've just spotted my first one - I'm thrilled to pieces! This is the first year I've had my feeders filled and hung before they got here and needed to scold me. Let the games begin!

Happy day indeed, skibby! It's always good to be prepared.

Claire

The little ones were at my house in Athol,Ma Wednesday May 2nd. Happy, Happy, Happy. I was sitting out last evening 5.7.18 and there were female and males buzzing all around. I also seen an Baltimore oriole. So colorful. They are back, and I am so excited.

Congratulations, Dawn!

Claire

Saw a hummer couple close up, a male & a female, who both swooped in and buzzed my head while I worked in the garden this morning. Hooray!

Saw a male Baltimore oriole some distance away too. I've put strawberry jelly in my jerry-rigged jelly holder because I haven't seen reasonably-priced grape jelly in the stores. (Has everyone been buying it up for the orioles?)

Around the first of this month I was watering plants on the front porch when a male ruby-throated flew right up to me and stayed there hovering, not three feet from me. After this little face-off I realized that time had gotten away from me and it was time to get the feeder up. A glance across the road confirmed that my neighbor's feeder was already up.

A week went by with no sign of any birds feeding, and then yesterday, voila!

(The only way I can get pictures is through a window from a distance away in the livingroom, hence the poor quality. We never sit out on our porch, so my hummers are not very tame.)

spedigrees: Your hummers may not be very tame, perhaps, but they know their rights and aren't afraid to insist on them. Your putting the feeder up quickly teaches them that humans can be trained.

Claire

hahahahaha

Full of activity this morning....lol. The males seem to be guarding the feeders now and trying to claim there areas. Females coming and going. Sitting here watching there battles and chases, love that high pitched chirping.

I have an Oriole at the cages of cut oranges ...They are gorgeous birds...

Well, after we saw maybe four at our feeders, they are no more. I know they're not around because the level of the solution is about the same. I had just changed the solution, too, so it should have been very fresh for them. When I change it I "floss" all the holes with kitchen twine to be sure there is no mold anywhere, and I changed it before mold grew anyway. I'm hoping the hummers were just transients, and that it's not an issue with my feeder. I leave town Monday and will take down the feeders anyway until we return.

Today i been seeing Orioles Eating the orange that I put on top of my round Suet Feeder. Not sure if two Baltimore Oriole or two or Orchard Orioles. I live in CT.

Bad pics, sorry...took w/my phone...

How many of you sit outside & wait for pics?

I saw the first female hummer this morning (seen from inside the kitchen):

Claire

Debra........Omg LMAO I wait outside to take pics! AND video hehe.

Margarita showed up yesterday!

I also set up my phone in my window with video running and will take still shots from that.

I just need a new phone now LOL

Just saw my first male and female Baltimore Oriole of the season in the backyard. The hummingbird activity has seemed to stop the last couple of days...

I have had my female for 3 days now, but they don't (Male & Female) feed together...I have 3 feeders up in case the 3rd shows up. Do you know the female lays eggs twice a season. She works hard.

Look what I woke up to Saturday morning on my feeders, and they are here to stay in Athol,Ma. making a nest in my back yard. These pictures do not do justice to this beautiful bird, the Baltimore Oriole. Magnificent!! The boy and girl when on my feeders all day and evening. ;)

I have huge picture windows and TONS of birds! I’m always seeing them buzz around, chasing each other...I bought a Major Wheeler Honeysuckle to work double duty, 1. Hiding my ugly chain link fence..and 2. Bring in the hummingbirds...but just today I thought about putting up some bird feeders (both regular and hummingbird feeders) and I wondered if because I have big picture windows, will I (or my cats!) scare them away from stopping by? Because it’s in our living room and we’re always in there...also is it too late to put one out now? I swear I’ve seen them before...we have really tiny birds everywhere it seems...but idk much about birds, only just started to want to encourage them more...also I get nervous because I let my cats out in the yard on occasion to try and keep the vole population down, but they occasionally nab a birdie or two ☹️ So I worry if I’d be putting them in danger as well? I mean we have so many birds as is, so clearly they’re not very scared...but still.

I wouldn’t do feeders if you let your cats out.

I agree with NHBabs. Outside cats and bird feeders are a bad combination.

Claire

I live Colchester ct and we have city water and I always boil it for 2 mins. We just got a report in the mail 2 days ago saying that the water has hi levels of sodium in the water.Does anyone think that by boiling the water for 2 Min will get rid of any sodium in the water? I don’t want to harm the hummers.

Boiling the water will not affect the sodium content, Jeff. The hummers are probably OK with that water unless it tastes really salty to you. If it does taste really salty, both you and the birds would probably be better off with diluting it a bit with bottled water.

Claire

The orioles are so hungry this year that they're always at the feeder. I'm needing to refill it more often than in previous years. For a while I thought it was only orioles downing the nectar, but yesterday I saw the first (male) hummer in about a week having a drink.

I have to retract my previous statement. Hummers are feasting at the feeders, and birds are enjoying all the seed.

Per the birds feeders and cats comment, we have both (feeders are new, cats not so new). But, our house is on a slope. Right now all seed feeders and 1 of 3 hummingbird feeders are about 20' from the house, but as summer progresses I'll move them closer and closer until I mount them from the eaves. At that point, because of the slope, they'll be too high off the ground for anything to get them. And, each will be right in front of a window. Need to get a tall ladder to get screw hooks in.

For some reason I believed that I should "convince" the birds to use the feeder by putting it farther from the house initially. Like I think I can actually train them. HA!

Here in Kentucky, I had a few hummingbirds in April right before a cold spell and snow flurries. I put feeders out when I saw the little darlings. Now, mid May...I haven't seen any hummers in a few weeks... Anyone else experience this?

The hummingbirds, particularly the females, often disappear during the nesting season when they're feeding insects to the young. They reappear when the kids have fledged.

Claire

Nessdizzle, your birds should become accustomed to you and your cats looking out the picture window at them, provided that you are there frequently. If you make sudden movements or the cats pounce at the window, the birds may be startled, but the lure of food should bring them back.

Dawn, those photos of the Baltimore orioles are fabulous! I see them around here occasionally, and you're right about how bright and beautiful they are. How lucky you are to have them nesting in your yard!

I have 4 feeders up though out the season and now that they are starting to migrate south I am seeing least hummers at my feeders. Today I been seeinga few at the feeder in front of my
picture window. Should i take 3 feeders down and just leave one feeder up at my picture window?

I would leave all, or most, of the feeders up for a little longer since you'll still be getting migrants coming through from north of you. Better to have too many feeders than too few.

Even if you don't see hummers for a few days there will probably be stragglers, maybe juveniles that aren't sure what they're doing and really could use the food.

When I get migrants I seem to see them mostly in the late afternoon when they stop for the night, and then again the next morning when they fuel up for the day's journey.

Please keep at least one feeder up until the end of September, maybe later. A few years ago I got a hummer visiting in late October. Luckily I'd kept one feeder there.

Claire

Ok thanks

Females are still here in central CT as of Sept. 10. My feeder stays up through the 3rd week of October.

We've still got hummers flying around cheeping at one another and visiting the feeders, honeysuckle, and scarlet runner beans here just N of Boston.

I haven't seen one in the last couple days, probably since it has been raining so I have been indoors, but they were out and about in central NH last weekend.

Just saw a hummer this morning visiting the phlox. It is a different one than the one from this weekend. I am not sure I have seen them this long after Labor Day before, and I have no way to know if they are migrants or my regular summer residents.

Hummer activity is slowing down here in Brewster. I was gone for much of last week but I was sure to leave fresh, clean, full feeders. They do not look much different now then when I left. I have not seen a Hummer in several days but the weather has been wet, cold and foggy. I have not wanted to venture out so I am sure the Hummers are starting to pack their bags for all poits south. I hate to see our season end. I have had lots of activity and have had to work at keeping my feeders full. I will miss them.

I saw one this morning and this afternoon there were a few that stopped by (NE CT). Sad to see them go.