Ruby-throated HummingbirdWe still have hummingbirds migrating through here in southern NH. They come the Bee Balm which still has a few blooms, as well as Verbena and also our hummingbird feeders. We do not see the adult males, they have mostly gone, just females and immatures. We would say we had an average year for hummingbird numbers here.
Other people who have written us have different experiences.
One of our blog readers from Louisiana is concerned about dropping hummingbird numbers and recently wrote:
"It's Aug. 31 2009. I only have about 10 hummers! I live in northwest Louisiana. The year Katrina and Rita hit, I had 100s! Up to that point usually about 60 or so, and after the 2 hurricanes, 100s. But last year, 2008 from March to 2nd week of Sept., about 20. This year through the summer only 6. All Ruby-throated Hummers. The hurricanes of the last several years have all hit the Yucatan and all the places they're headed back to for our winter, during their migration. I think a lot has to do with the hurricanes. Also, all the friends in this area that also feed them, they also have reported to me they also have few to none. Not a scientific theory, but its my theory. I hope the population goes up next year.
I hope this helps anybody who feeds the hummers...
Much concern over the hummer population. Take care and keep feeding all the birds."
A blog reader from Southwestern lower Michigan just recently wrote:
"We also have a lot of hummingbirds, as many as 20 at a time feeding."
How have your hummingbird numbers been this season? If you reply, please give your location.
9 comments:
A birder I know works for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and bands hummingbirds in his yard in Raisin (near Victoria), Texas. He sends weekly reports.
Last week in 7.5 hours of netting, he banded 248 new Ruby-throats and caught an additional 89 that already had bands.
In Eastern Washington I haven't seen a hummer in about 3 weeks, in spite of keeping one feeder up for the stragglers. Whereas my parents in Central Washington, 150 miles to the northwest, still have one lonley guy visiting their feeder.
I live in southern Manitoba and usually see acouple of Hummersin spring and again in fall.Recently we spent a day in Winnipeg,80 miles NE of here and saw lots of them,at least 5 at a time.
Blessings,,Ruth
One of our readers, Anita, just wrote,
"I have been watching the hummingbirds this summer and at the most I've seen three. It's
hard to tell if there are more because they come to the feeder one at a time and if another
one comes they chase each other away. I wish I could see hundreds. We live in SE PA about an
hour northwest of Phila. in Bucks County."
I live in Dripping Springs, in the TExas Hill Country, where we have had a terrible drought for the past 2 years. This year my hummers were down from last year. I seemed to have a lot in the spring migration but fewer in the summer. I was feeding about 2 quarts every 2 days with some days a little more. Now I'm feeding maybe a quart a week and most of that goes bad. I used to see 4-7 hummers at each of 6 feeders and now I'm lucky to see one at a time. We have nesting black chinned but see ruby throats in migration. My 4 year old grandson reported a hummmer with a red throat mid August and we have had several more since then. I can't tell the juveniles apart so I'm not sure how many or each species we have now but it is very few. Last year I remember it was late September to mid October when we only had a couple of hummers a day.
I live in near San Francisco, CA. We have a ton of Anna's hummingbirds around, but Anna's hummingbirds stay for the winter so not helpful for migration data.
Our hummingbird numbers seem about normal here in western North Carolina.
I live in central Wi., and have had about the same number of Hummers this year at my feeders. About 25 birds early mornings, and late evenings. I've added feeders so there isn't as much stress. Currently about 15 quart feeders. As of today, (Sept. 15) I only see 2 immatures still here. Most Hummers left my feeders last week.
I use about 80 pounds of sugar a summer!
We to have noticed dwidling numbers of hummers at our feeders and butterfly gardens in North Florida. This year (2009) especially low numbers.
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