The Uncaged Bird -Hummingbird feeder is up!

Thanks! My one year old feeder pole snapped off today when I went to put my feeder up! ARGHHHH!

Morganna said:

mumstheword said:

Other than Amazon (which I'm boycotting), where can I buy that hummingbird feeder you posted up-thread?

Here is the link to the Hummingbird Guide store :

http://www.hummingbird-guide.c...

Sighting in Miller's Place, NY. That's on Long Island! My feeder has been up and the new Humzinger just arrived yesterday so I'll be switching between the two. I also received the basket with Hummingbird nesting material. I'm going to put it out soon. I planted Crocosmia Lucifer yesterday for mid-summer red blooms that are supposed to be Hummingbird favorites. Last year's Columbines are pushing through the soil, another favorite. I ordered Lobelia Cardinalis for them as well. But I won't rest until the garden centers start selling hanging baskets of petunias. I'm wondering if the Honeysuckle will take off this year, it kept getting nibbled before It had a chance to show off. Anyone else seeing their bird favorite perennials sprouting?

I also saw a starling checking out one of my nesting boxes, the largest one. There is a mid size that has never been used and I just screwed together last year's wren house after cleaning. It's hanging in it's old spot waiting!

I have only one Hummer feeder up -- the second favorite of last year's birds. I have to buy another pole for the former favorite feeder spot. No sightings yet, but I did put out new bird houses. Waiting for the landscaper to come to give me a price to plant a butterfly/hummingbird garden along one side of the house. Here's hoping!

My hummzinger feeder has been out for a week now but no sightings.  But since I've never succeeded in two seasons, I'm not holding my breath.  (But also not giving up!)

sac said:

My hummzinger feeder has been out for a week now but no sightings.  But since I've never succeeded in two seasons, I'm not holding my breath.  (But also not giving up!)

Mine also have been up, on both sides of the house.  I had them last year (I admittedly got a late start last year), so I'm hoping they find their way back this year.

I found hanging baskets of petunias and switched to the Humzinger so I'm ready! I saw my first goldfinch of the season. Nuthatches and chickadees are busy. The starlings have been furnishing their nesting box and a very bold wren checked out the little wren house.  I'm not sure that I made a sale. We'll see.

Morganna said:

I found hanging baskets of petunias and switched to the Humzinger so I'm ready! I saw my first goldfinch of the season. Nuthatches and chickadees are busy. The starlings have been furnishing their nesting box and a very bold wren checked out the little wren house.  I'm not sure that I made a sale. We'll see.

Where did you go for your hanging baskets?  I need to do that.  At least with hanging baskets, you can bring them inside in the event of a freeze.

sac said:

Morganna said:

I found hanging baskets of petunias and switched to the Humzinger so I'm ready! I saw my first goldfinch of the season. Nuthatches and chickadees are busy. The starlings have been furnishing their nesting box and a very bold wren checked out the little wren house.  I'm not sure that I made a sale. We'll see.

Where did you go for your hanging baskets?  I need to do that.  At least with hanging baskets, you can bring them inside in the event of a freeze.

I got the petunias at Metropolitan Plants in West Orange but there were baskets out at Home Depot, just not petunias  but with today being Easter and in the 80s I would bet they expanded their stock. I was surprised at the amount of annuals out.

I got a big round of applause from my woodchuck and my deer when I began planting! They get pretty annoyed when all they see are daffodils. When I added pansies I'm pretty sure the woodchuck did a cartwheel.

Check the migration map! 2 sightings in New Jersey!

http://www.hummingbird-guide.c...

Like Sac, I haven't had any success luring the hummers the last couple of years, but I did order this feeder to try out in the hopes of luring less ants, bees, and wasps.  Saw the flowers at Home Depot yesterday and they were stocked halfway into the parking lot. Costco also had a few bags of the "Hummingbird" bulb mix so I grabbed one. 

Checked out the migration map Morganna and it appears to show some additional sightings for NJ. 

Some interesting feeder ideas here but you need to find a local brick & mortar store.

http://www.aspectsinc.com/prod...

They suggest birdfeeding.com

I like the wire mesh nyjer and peanut tubes.

Also, I found a good discussion on warding off squirrels. Slinkies have utility for us adults.

http://www.birdsandblooms.com/...

Good share.  I didn't know about the squirrel 5-7-9 rule.

I put up a birdfeeder last year mostly because I like to see the cardinals come by and after a few different attempts to place the birdfeeder in a different spot I settled on getting birdseed spiked with hot pepper. Turns out squirrels don't like it, so they mostly stay away.

You can mix your own, I've just been buying it pre-mixed from Amazon which is a tad expensive, but since I really only fill the feeder on the weekends it's not that bad since I don't go through a bad that quickly

This is what I've currently been using:

https://goo.gl/xtgkVO

Every once in a while a brave squirrel decides they can take the heat, but it keeps the 'bird party' (as my son calls it) from getting crashed regularly.

bikefixed said:

Also, I found a good discussion on warding off squirrels. Slinkies have utility for us adults.

http://www.birdsandblooms.com/...

I've had my feeders up and I'm planting like crazy. This is my 2nd year trying to grow Crocosmia and I am hopeful I'll have luck this time. I planted them close to the feeder. I also sent away for Lobelia Cardinalis as I had no luck finding it last year and White Flower Farm sold out online quickly. Most of my Columbines are up which they like and I picked up a few red annual Salvia. I have one basket of hanging Petunias and I'm planning on adding more. I planned on a couple of Canna but was warned the deer will eat them so I'll leave them to anyone who does not have the herd that  I host on my property.

And to go completely nuts on the topic I just ordered garden clogs with yup, Hummingbirds on them! (And I do have my Hummingbird duvet out to dream under.)

I'm also taking another try at Globe Thistle for birds in general. I had great success with Cone Flowers attracting Goldfinches and I'm thrilled that they are coming back inching up through the soil.

I'm expecting that we will see them in the next 2 weeks. Males arrive first so maybe play some videos of good looking female hummingbirds to lure them.

I bought a beautiful hanging basket of purple and white petunias.  They didn't last a day -- deer got to them.  Now, I haven't seen any deer in more than a year -- do they come out at night and feed ("deer" is a new thing for me)?  Also, still no hummers, but the friggin' wasps are back and feeding.

So sorry mumstheword, I have so many deer but they have not reached my baskets. No hummers yet but the feeders are up.

Here is a live cam with a nest of eaglets to sooth your soul!

Morganna said:

So sorry mumstheword, I have so many deer but they have not reached my baskets. No hummers yet but the feeders are up.

Here is a live cam with a nest of eaglets to sooth your soul!

Beautiful!  Thank you!

I bought Geum a pretty plant with red flowers. No bird benefits, I just thought they were cheery and deer resistant. This morning I startled the deer that had apparently just finished off each flower. I guess they didn't read the label.  I assume they will just blame the woodchuck.

Just found this Woodpecker that hoards acorns by embedding them in the bark of trees! Cool article with great photos!

http://bit.ly/2plUytJ

Just spotted my first Hummingbird of the season and he is a male! So females should show up in the next 2 weeks. He had a nice long drink perched on the new feeder and then sampled a petunia before taking off. I'm putting up the nesting material. I'm hoping he will build his nest on the property to join the singing wren and the bustling starling. Welcome little bird to the nursery!

Very jealous, but I'm trying again.  I have hanging baskets of fuschia and petunias with a feeder in between. Crossing my fingers.

i just saw my first hummer too today -- a male also.  So excited!!!!

@sac Last year my first was May 9, then May 15, followed by May 24th. It took awhile for regular traffic. Must be the males searching for nesting sites. I'm hanging the nesting material today. I didn't want it to get wet as it looks like a mat of cotton.

@mumstheword, Congratulations!

I posted on Next Door. I thought if we get more feeders out they may populate the area more intensely. Someone posted that they have quite a few in West Orange at her location.

When I saw the male this time, I noticed a very dark almost black head. It wasn't until he flew up that the light caught the brilliant red throat. Wow, wish I could have gotten the shot. Haven't seen one in the past couple of days but I'm inside working on a painting for the new SOMA show Endangered that I'm organizing for May 19th which as it turns out, happens to be Endangered Species Day!

@morganna -- Mine didn't drink long enough for me to get a good luck at it.  It just rounded the feeder, stopped to take a sip, and then flew off.  He returned around 5pm tonight and did the same thing.  That's how they acted last year, so I guess they're finicky!  LOL!  It's fun to see at least one back home.  I have 2 feeders on the other side of the house by the kitchen window and haven't seen any there yet.

I was out digging in the dirt today and didn't see any. I do have very pretty Mockingbirds so in their honor

I just have to stop everything and Dance!

So, this damn thread got me wondering and I wound up making a hummer habitat.  Petunias, Salvias, Fuchsias Impatiens, Lobelia, Nasturtium and a feeder all in place now.

Keegan says "I better start seeing some fcuking hummingbirds."

LOL OK @bikefixed we will need to design an aerial map for them to find you!

bikefixed said:

So, this damn thread got me wondering and I wound up making a hummer habitat.  Petunias, Salvias, Fuchsias Impatiens, Lobelia, Nasturtium and a feeder all in place now.

Keegan says "I better start seeing some fcuking hummingbirds."

It hasn't yet worked for me, but I keep trying.  Maybe third time (this is my third year trying) will be a charm.

Time to get ready to join the count on Global Big Day - May 13, 2017!

http://ebird.org/globalbigday