The hummingbirds have worn us down to where we are not feeding them this year. We get hundreds and it becomes a chore after a while. Plus, we have summer plans and can't keep feeders filled.
Observations I'll share from past years
Green tree snakes will hide in bushes around feeder and eat hummingbirds. I heard a commotion and went outside to see a green tree snake with a live hummingbird in its mouth. I'm not sure the snake was big enough to eat the hummingbird. I caused the hummingbird to be released and it flew away. I also let the snake live.
Roadrunners noticed the hummingbird activity and would come and sit nearby and try to catch hummingbirds. I never saw them catch one, but am fairly certain they had some success.
Early winter we had a hummingbird come to our house one evening when temps got down to 17 degrees. We thawed some nectar and it had a meal before dark. Early next morning I went out to check as the sun was coming up and hitting the side of the house where the feeder was located. As I watched, a hummingbird left a juniper tree nearby and flew to the wall just below the feeder and latched itself to the wall of our house and in the sun. I thawed out more nectar for the feeder and plugged and placed a heater under the hummingbird feeder. The hummingbird spent an hour or two at the feeder, basking in the sun and getting warm from the feeder. After a while, you could tell the hummingbird was starting to feel spunky and soon flew off heading towards Las Cruces.
Our hummingbirds became so tame than I could use a ladder to place myself at eye level with the feeder and less than a foot away. Hummingbirds would continue to come feed while I watched from at point blank range. We have so many hummingbirds that we occasionally get hit by hummingbirds as we walk around corners of the house.
The hummingbirds are still all around our house and it makes me feel bad when I see them in the mornings and evenings coming to where our feeders used to be located. They have a good memory.
Observations I'll share from past years
Green tree snakes will hide in bushes around feeder and eat hummingbirds. I heard a commotion and went outside to see a green tree snake with a live hummingbird in its mouth. I'm not sure the snake was big enough to eat the hummingbird. I caused the hummingbird to be released and it flew away. I also let the snake live.
Roadrunners noticed the hummingbird activity and would come and sit nearby and try to catch hummingbirds. I never saw them catch one, but am fairly certain they had some success.
Early winter we had a hummingbird come to our house one evening when temps got down to 17 degrees. We thawed some nectar and it had a meal before dark. Early next morning I went out to check as the sun was coming up and hitting the side of the house where the feeder was located. As I watched, a hummingbird left a juniper tree nearby and flew to the wall just below the feeder and latched itself to the wall of our house and in the sun. I thawed out more nectar for the feeder and plugged and placed a heater under the hummingbird feeder. The hummingbird spent an hour or two at the feeder, basking in the sun and getting warm from the feeder. After a while, you could tell the hummingbird was starting to feel spunky and soon flew off heading towards Las Cruces.
Our hummingbirds became so tame than I could use a ladder to place myself at eye level with the feeder and less than a foot away. Hummingbirds would continue to come feed while I watched from at point blank range. We have so many hummingbirds that we occasionally get hit by hummingbirds as we walk around corners of the house.
The hummingbirds are still all around our house and it makes me feel bad when I see them in the mornings and evenings coming to where our feeders used to be located. They have a good memory.
