The Uncaged Bird -My first Hummingbird has arrived 4/26/2024
Me too. Not a single hummingbird this year or last. And I change our feeder every other day. I'm happy to see your pics and to know that they are still migrating through our towns.
sac said:
CompassRose said:
Nice picture! I'm envious. I have not had any hummers' this year.
I've given up for this year, but plan to work on my plantings for next year.
Morganna said:
Veterans with PTSD are helped by parrots!
That video made my eyes mist up a bit. Thanks for sharing. The birds were so affectionate and so well cared for by the veterans and volunteers.
One part that bothered me is that the sanctuary doesn't receive any federal funding. Yet...federal officials asked the sanctuary for assistance when they needed to re-home birds from the Mexico raid. It's a wonderful sanctuary nonetheless and it leaves me sour that they don't receive that type of funding.
CompassRose said:
Morganna said:
Veterans with PTSD are helped by parrots!
That video made my eyes mist up a bit. Thanks for sharing. The birds were so affectionate and so well cared for by the veterans and volunteers.
One part that bothered me is that the sanctuary doesn't receive any federal funding. Yet...federal officials asked the sanctuary for assistance when they needed to re-home birds from the Mexico raid. It's a wonderful sanctuary nonetheless and it leaves me sour that they don't receive that type of funding.
There is a parrot rescue that I have spoken to called Under My Wing. I think I'll reach out to her and find out if she thinks such a program might work here.
We discussed my volunteering, but she is a bit of a hike.
Here are some of their programs.
Companion 4 Life
Nursing Homes & Assisted Living
Best Friend to Disabled Teens & Adult
Pennies for Parrots
UMWAR Youth Group
And their contact information, they do adoptions as well.
Embracing with love the many wings who's lives we help transform.
http://www.undermywing.org/
For anyone still looking for hummingbird's they are now regularly showing up around 4 PM. One hovered by the cap of my feeder while I was refilling the bottle. He took a quick sip from the petunias and then left impatiently. I guess my 4 Feather Review will be downgraded.
How about providing nesting materials in a small suet basket?
http://bit.ly/2ahihml
Morganna said:
Owl voices. Music to my ears.
http://bit.ly/2aB1xHz
I miss hearing barred owls. "Who cooks for you!" 
Morganna said:
How about providing nesting materials in a small suet basket?
http://bit.ly/2ahihml
I learned a lot about nesting materials while living in the deep South years ago. I made the mistake of making an outside door wreath to use up the excess Mardi Gras beads we had. Unknown to me, the birds were pecking the beads from the wreath and using them as nesting material. We found one bird nest made almost entirely of Mardi Gras beads!
Morganna said:
sac said:
CompassRose said:
Nice picture! I'm envious. I have not had any hummers' this year.
I've given up for this year, but plan to work on my plantings for next year.
There are a few lures that you can pick up inexpensively right now. Both Home Depot and Metropolitan Plants have petunias in hanging baskets as well as fuchsia for as low as $12. Lots of tasty nectar treats still left and at reduced prices. The birds will be here all summer! And the babies should be hatched and adding to the population!
I've had petunias and fuschias in hanging baskets next to my hummingbird feeder for two months and nothing.
sac, I keep wondering if it is too hot. I haven't had any hummers yet either.
CompassRose said:
Morganna said:
How about providing nesting materials in a small suet basket?
http://bit.ly/2ahihml
I learned a lot about nesting materials while living in the deep South years ago. I made the mistake of making an outside door wreath to use up the excess Mardi Gras beads we had. Unknown to me, the birds were pecking the beads from the wreath and using them as nesting material. We found one bird nest made almost entirely of Mardi Gras beads!
Wow I would love to see a picture of that. I had dozens and dozens of Mardi Gras beads but I donated them. I read you should keep things like yarn or ribbon to under 6 or 8 inches long.
sac said:
Morganna said:
sac said:
CompassRose said:
Nice picture! I'm envious. I have not had any hummers' this year.
I've given up for this year, but plan to work on my plantings for next year.
There are a few lures that you can pick up inexpensively right now. Both Home Depot and Metropolitan Plants have petunias in hanging baskets as well as fuchsia for as low as $12. Lots of tasty nectar treats still left and at reduced prices. The birds will be here all summer! And the babies should be hatched and adding to the population!
I've had petunias and fuschias in hanging baskets next to my hummingbird feeder for two months and nothing.
I also have three planters of blooming petunias and other flowers near my feeder. Still no hummingbirds. I think maybe they are scared off by all the noise from the landscapers.
@sac and @CompassRose keep looking for them I waited 2 months between my first sightings and the recent return.
I saw them about 4 days in a row. They appeared in the late morning about 10 and in the late afternoon about 4. Keep looking! I posted the little hummingbird on the holly branch the day I saw him. Or her.
Great news, I apparently am too late with the nesting material for the tiny wren! Apparently this mornings song was a birth announcement. I hear little cheep cheeps coming from the little house!
CompassRose said:
sac, I keep wondering if it is too hot. I haven't had any hummers yet either.
It was quite mild most of June, though. I think you are right now, but lots of people were getting hummers at their feeders during those milder days.
OK, this is this afternoon's peek at the little wren on her way out to search for food for the little ones. Note her little American Flag on her home.
Apparently the wren or its mate, did not like the hummingbird perching on its tree, actually an old twisted laurel, and took to singing loudly and hopping from branch to branch until the iridescent green bird got the message and flew off. The hummingbird was just relaxing after drinking his fill at the feeder. The wren is not much bigger than the hummingbird.
What can happen when bird nerds team up with computer nerds? To start with, a whole lot of number-crunching. This video, produced by Microsoft in Education explores how our eBird project uses crowdsourced data and high-speed computing to create next-generation maps of bird abundance and distribution. The video is a fun mix of bird footage and technology:
https://youtu.be/OHilG8DjPCY
Great way to bring Goldfinches to your yard! (I can't resist capitalizing birds and flowers.) Right now you can buy Coneflowers (Echinacea) at Home Depot. I found the little wild canary yellow birds really do like sitting on them after they turn brown, and picking out the seeds. I did hang the thistle feeders for them but the sparrows are too much competition so the Goldfinches have the Coneflowers all to themselves. I think the sparrows are a bit to big to sit on the flower heads. I also have running water in a fountain and it does really lure more birds, particularly this splashy feathered bits of sunshine!
I've had a pair of goldfinches visiting our sunflowers for the last couple of weeks! ETA,also a hummingbird there this morning, to my surprise!
sis2157 said:
I've had a pair of goldfinches visiting our sunflowers for the last couple of weeks! ETA,also a hummingbird there this morning, to my surprise!
Yay! I'm having hummingbirds on and off all day now. I can see that they are different birds as one little one has something white hanging from his foot. I'm trying to get a photo of him. The babies should be out and about. I tried to post the goldfinches but my pics are not posting now.
Time to buy another feeder for the Hummingbirds. I knew there was more than one bird but today I saw one leave and two arrive vying for the feeder. It ended with one being chased off. There is increasing activity at the feeder. I was wondering how many times the same bird will come back during the day.
I haven't seen the adult wren and I didn't hear chirping from the chicks yesterday but this morning I heard a peep. I'm going to make sure the parents return. Interesting to note that the male builds foundations for up to 12 nests when he arrives in spring. When the female arrives he shows her the selection and she chooses the one that she wants! What a guy! Maybe it was the flag on my little house that won her over. She then completes the nest and uses spider egg sacs as a finish. When the little spiders hatch they tidy up any mites that show up. No Terminex contract needed.
I've attached a video of a man who fed mealy worms to the nesters in a nearby tray. Eventually he got them to eat out of his hands.
https://youtu.be/_aRLCtcUT18
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He came back today and used the feeder! Pretty blurry picture but I had to document it! The Hummingbird Café is officially open! By the way he is drinking a flower nectar that is sold at Metropolitan Plants.