“In the world of attracting hummers, there is no such thing as TOO MUCH. You can't have too many feeders, too many flowers, or too much red to catch their attention. Over the top? Never!” Nancy Newfield, Master Hummingbird Bander & Naturalist
· Welcome
· Upcoming Garden Tour at Our Home, SEPTEMBER 11 AND 14, 2011!!
· A Madison, Wisconsin Baby Hummingbird Rescue
· How Have the Fires in Arizona Affected Hummingbirds?
· What Happens When a White-eared Hummingbird Shows Up In Michigan?
· Why Do Hummingbirds Seem Scarce in My Garden in Late June & Early July?
· What Are Ruby-throated Hummingbirds Doing Right Now?
· How Does Our Garden Grow? A Summer Update
· To Bee Or Not To Bee---How to Keep Bees Away From Your Hummingbird Feeders
· Hummingbird Tongues From Science Friday
· “Taming the Alaskan Hummingbird” Video
· Photos From a Hummingbird Banding Session in Missouri
· Upcoming Events
Hi Everyone,
Summer is just flying by and it’s so hard to believe that hummingbirds are beginning to migrate south and that gardening and hummingbird season is almost over!! I am happy to report that I am feeling very well and am totally recovered from my medical ordeal of last summer—many thanks to all of you for your support, concern, and kind words. Our summer has been a very busy one trying to keep our garden tended and watered in the drought, dealing with those disgusting Japanese Beetles, visiting family, and helping a good friend who had major surgery this summer.
Overall, we have enjoyed our best hummingbird season ever---our first hummingbird (a beautiful male) arrived on April 30 and we’ve only had three days since then when we did not see a hummer---in our 12 years of feeding and attracting hummingbirds, this is a first! We thought the cold and wet spring would negatively affect our hummingbird season, but we are happy to report that it did not.
We are now gearing up for our annual community Hummingbird Garden Tour and we hope that you will be able to join us on one or both days. The dates for the 2011 tour are SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1-5:30 P.M. and WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 3-7 P.M. at our home, 5118 Buffalo Trail in Madison, Wisconsin. The door prize drawing and brief program will be at 3 p.m. on Sunday and 5 p.m. on Wednesday. We truly hope that humans and hummingbirds will join us in great numbers for our tour!! If you have any questions, please e-mail Kathi at kathijr@yahoo.com. It is not necessary to RSVP for the tour. We will provide some refreshments, but please feel free to bring a simple dish or snack (no pork or shellfish please) to share---you may also bring sugar, garden soil or another garden-related item if you wish. We look forward to seeing you!
We are very excited about a baby hummingbird rescue that occurred in Madison this summer and feel honored that we were able to play a very small part in it. We hope to have some of the people involved in this exciting rescue speak to us at our upcoming garden tours.
This past weekend we spent an absolutely splendid three hours with some friends in southern Wisconsin who began to garden and landscape for hummingbirds and a few years ago and were even lucky enough to recently host a Rufous hummingbird. They live in a beautiful country setting and the numbers of hummers at their feeders on this gorgeous afternoon were truly amazing. Needless to say, it was like heaven on earth and if this is paradise, we can hardly wait! Talk about inspiration to write this newsletter---thank you Larry and Emily!!
We wish you a wonderful rest of the summer. Please go outside and enjoy your hummingbirds, your garden and the best that summer has to offer. As we all know, every summer day in the upper Midwest is a special gift, for winter will soon be upon us.
Best Wishes,
Kathi and Michael
A Madison, Wisconsin Baby Hummingbird Rescue---MEET VINNIE!!
Several weeks ago we received a frantic call from someone in Madison reporting that they had rescued a baby hummingbird from the windshield wiper of a neighbor’s car (actually, another neighbor who is a trained veterinarian carefully extricated the bird from the windshield wiper!) They were wondering what to do next---what do you do when you suddenly have a helpless baby bird that is so much smaller than the average baby bird? Well, they noticed that the bird’s Mom was hovering nearby and they managed to get the bird situated in wire cage on the car’s hood in a way that allowed the bird to perch on the cage---Mom was able to feed the baby right there. Since they did not have a feeder, we brought one over and Mom began to use the feeder right away. The bird’s rescuer even spent two nights sleeping outside to protect the baby, since it was unable to fly back up to its nest and could have been vulnerable to predators (we believe it fell out of its nest located in the tall tree directly above the car.)
The bird was affectionately named “Vinnie” because he or she rode with the owner of the car underneath the windshield wiper to St. Vincent de Paul the morning of its rescue. With regular feedings from Mom and pampering from its human rescuers, Vinnie became stronger and more confident over the next two days. We are very happy to report that Vinnie was finally able to fly and begin to live the life that he was meant to enjoy, thanks to his dedicated, caring, and wonderful human rescuers! To see photos and read a detailed account of Vinnie’s rescue, please visit the following link on The Hummingbird Forum:
How Have the Fires in Arizona Affected Hummingbirds?
The terrible wildfires in Arizona this summer have had a devastating and unfortunate impact on wildlife, and in particular, hummingbirds. Hummingbirds are heavily dependent on habitat, which the fires destroyed, and presence of feeders, which became less available as people were evacuated from the affected areas. There have been so many human disasters of late, but these fires were on the same scale for our precious wildlife. To read more about these unfortunate events and to learn how you can help, click on the following link:
What Happens When a White-eared Hummingbird Shows Up In Michigan?
Hummingbirds from the desert southwest sometimes show up in the most unlikely places. The state of Michigan is famous for unusual rarities such as Green Violet Eared Hummingbirds and a few years back, a White Eared Hummingbird (this bird is even extremely difficult to see in August in southeastern Arizona!!) Hummingbird lovers Melissa Pappas and her husband were fortunate enough to host this unexpected guest. To read more, click on their blog:
http://colmel.wordpress.com/2011/07/21/drawing-a-crowd-the-wonder-of-a-white-eared/
If you ever see a hummingbird at your feeders that looks or sounds very different from your usual Ruby-throats, please grab your camera and try and get a photo of the bird and then pick up the telephone and call your local Audubon Society or other birding organization (or call us if you live in the Madison, Wisconsin area). They can recommend and notify someone who can come to your home and help you to identify the bird.
While hanging many well maintained hummingbird feeders and landscaping for hummingbirds won’t guarantee a special bird like this, these actions certainly can’t hurt and we are still hoping for any hummingbird other than a Ruby-throat (Rufous are the most commonly seen western vagrant hummingbirds seen in the US.)
Way to go Melissa! Thank you for sharing this photo and information about this beautiful bird with us!
Why Do Hummingbirds Seem Scarce in My Garden in Late June & Early July?
We often receive frantic calls and e-mails in June asking us why no hummingbirds seem to be present in yards where they were feeding just a few weeks before. This is a common and typical hummingbird lover’s dilemma, especially if you live in an urban environment. In late April and most of May, hummingbirds are migrating north to begin establishing their breeding territories for a new season. The males arrive first, followed by the females. After this migration is completed, nesting begins. Ruby-throated hummingbirds are notorious for being very secretive about nesting and always choose a location far away from city environments and predators (we have so many squirrels in our yard, and they love to eat hummingbird eggs, so we don’t believe that hummingbirds would ever nest on our property.) Ruby-throated hummingbirds nest in dense trees or shrubbery in a downward slopping branch and their nests are so small and almost impossible to find unless you are able to follow a mother hummingbird’s flight back to her nest with your binoculars. During the nesting period, the birds are spending very little time in our gardens feeding at flowers and feeders. They are busy building their nests, mating with the males (which is a very brief, fleeting act!), and incubating their eggs. They must incubate their eggs for about three weeks and then the babies are in the nest for about three more weeks, which is a very exhausting process for the mother hummingbird who performs her maternal duties all alone. The babies will begin to fledge in early July (at least in the Upper Midwest) and then you will begin to see many more hummingbirds at your feeders and flowers.
Here is Hummingbird Bander, Lanny Chambers answering this frequently asked question:
Question: To make a long story short, I would like to know why do the hummers disappear several weeks after returning in the spring only to return late May to early June.
Answer: I suspect there are several overlapping factors for this annual disappearance. Here's my hypothesis:
1. Honeysuckle and other wildflowers, with which feeders can't compete.
2. Nesting: hens are nesting away from feeders, where it's quieter; after all the hens are fertilized, the males may abandon their unnecessary territories. Just a guess.
3. Nearly all the hummers you see in the first month are passing through to nest farther north. This is really a significant hump in the curve, more concentrated than the one in the southward migration, if not as large. By the time the last migrants have passed, most of the local residents are nesting.
What Are Ruby-throated Hummingbirds Doing Right Now?
In August and September, hummingbirds begin to migrate south to Mexico and Central America. In reverse of the northward migration, the males leave first, followed by the adult females and then the immature birds. A hormonal process is triggered in the bird’s brain saying that daylight is becoming shorter and it’s time to leave (many people believe that colder weather stimulates this process, which is not totally correct.) Because the immature birds join the adult males and females and the birds are vigorously attempting to double their body weight to make a long distance flight of 1,000 miles or more, you will see the greatest number of birds at your feeders and flowers during this time. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE YOUR FEEDERS DOWN NOW TO ENCOURAGE THE BIRDS TO MIGRATE! This is a fallacy.
The birds migrate on their schedule, not ours, and need the help of our feeders, especially as flowers and numbers of small insects decline with the shorter days and colder weather. It is important to change the nectar frequently to keep it fresh and ready for the birds.
You will hear the birds vocalizing much more than they do in the spring---their rapid vocalizations are called “chittering” or “hum giggling”---our good friend Larry likens this time of year to “a school yard full of unruly children noisily playing and fighting” and that is so right on. It is even common to see immature male hummers performing a U-shaped dive or shuttle flight in front of other hummingbirds, male or female, as a way of establishing territory rather than mating. Unless it is a rainy or unusually cold day, we tend to see more hummers nectaring at flowers rather than feeders, but the feeders still play an essential role in our habitat for sure.
It is a wonderful and favorite time of the year, but also a fleeting one, so every moment must be enjoyed and savored. Around early October, the yard begins to empty out and hum giggles quickly become a thing of the past as hummingbird season comes to a sad and very rapid conclusion. We miss those fierce warriors already!
How Does Our Garden Grow? A Summer Update
After a very cold and wet and late spring (more like non-existent!), we were not expecting much out of our garden this season. Plants were not growing or blooming early on, but the heat wave during July changed all of that. Early rains ensured that perennials would be large and vigorous compared to past seasons. Once we enjoyed that heat, annuals and tender perennials finally started to take off.
Usually, Cuphea ‘David Verity’ is one of our best plants for hummingbirds. Earlier on though, that was not the case. For some mysterious reason, Cuphea was blooming and growing like usual (it is a no care plant that always looks the same and is loaded with blooms), but no hummingbirds were visiting. We couldn’t understand it. Now that we are further into the season though, it is receiving hummer visits again.
Salvias guaranitica and greggii (especially ‘Navajo Red’ or ‘Cherry Chief’) continue to be some of our best plants and are doing well. It was a very successful year for Monarda too and hummers still continue to visit it despite the plant’s rapid decline in August. Salvia ‘Wendy’s Wish’, a relatively new cultivar, is also growing well and attracting many hummingbirds.
For the past several years, we have grown Stachytarpheta (purple and coral forms) from Bustani Plant Farm and hummers did not use them much unfortunately. This year though, it is one of our best plants. This is a nice thing to see after seasons of non-use of this beautiful plant.
One surprising trend is that we have many Policeman’s Helmet plants (Impatiens glandulifera) growing in our yard this season (they love our moist, heavy soil) and hummingbirds are using them a lot. During other seasons they only received occasional use. It is nice to have a good hummingbird plant that does not need to be replanted each season.
We are trying two new cultivars of Butterfly Bush this season---Buddleia intermedia and Buddleia ‘Orange Sceptre’—both are extremely different from Buddleia davidii, the standard butterfly bush grown all over the country. The good news is that hummers have used both and these unusual cultivars don’t attract Japanese Beetles---yay!! We will continue to evaluate these new cultivars. Unfortunately, B. intermedia is only hardy to zone 6 and B. ‘Orange Sceptre’ is only hardy to zone 7.
Cardinal Flower has also done quite well for us this season. All of our plants from last season returned and we added some new plants as well. We must admit, Cardinal Flower makes a strong and beautiful statement in the garden and it’s even more exciting when we see hummingbirds enjoying it.
We’ve finally managed to get some Chilean Glory Vine (Eccremocarpus scaber) going in our garden this season. I successfully overwintered a plant and Michael grew some from seed and also got a cutting from my plant to grow and thrive in a raised bed. This challenging plant always seems to die for some reason (a new plant of mine perished in the earlier heat wave!) and it’s nice to see it finally working out.
We still have some plants that are not blooming yet in mid-August---mostly salvias, but also a few tropicals. We will fertilize and hope for the best for September and our garden tour---some may take two seasons to bloom.
How does your hummingbird garden grow? Please write to us and let us know.
To Bee Or Not To Bee---How to Keep Bees Away From Your Hummingbird Feeders
Bees on hummingbird feeders are a very frustrating problem in August and September. There seems to be no easy solution to this vexing problem. Bee guards will keep most bees out of the feeder and the nectar, but could present danger to hummingbirds and may even attract more bees because they are typically yellow. One solution is to paint the bee guards red and get rid of the yellow. Some people have discussed using garlic and vinegar on the feeder, but this could be a lot of work to keep reapplying on a continuous basis. As a first step, it is very important to keep your feeder clean and your nectar fresh at all times. Another possible idea is to give the bees their own feeder---fill up a feeder (even an oriole feeder or open container will do) with a stronger nectar solution (2 parts of water to one part of sugar) and bees will choose that solution over the weaker solution you are feeding to your hummingbirds. Please let us know of any solutions to this problem that have worked for you.
Hummingbird Tongues From PBS “Science Friday”
The hummingbird’s tongue is a miracle of nature, enabling the bird to efficiently and easily consume nectar from tubular flowers and feeders and to catch small insects on the fly. Until now, the mechanics of the hummingbird’s tongue have been somewhat of a mystery with misconceptions abounding. The most common myth is that hummingbirds suck nectar into their mouths with their tongues. Nor does the hummingbird have a sticky tongue that insects adhere to. Esther and Robert Tyrrell say in their book, “Hummingbirds Their Life and Behavior” that the bird’s tongue is fringed and that “these fringed, tissues roll up inwardly to create two tubes, which may be important in consuming nectar.”
The video segment below studies dog and hummingbird tongues and how they work:
http://www.sciencefriday.com/videos/watch/10383
There is so much about hummingbirds that we still don’t know!
Taming The Alaskan Hummingbird Video
Alaska is home to only one hummingbird, the Rufous hummingbird. These tough, feisty, rusty-colored hummingbirds breed in Alaska and then make the long flight back south to Mexico and Central America. Sometimes they fly east inside of south, creating opportunities for people who only see Ruby-throated hummingbirds to host an exciting and aggressive vagrant hummingbird from the west. The Rufous is the most frequently reported vagrant hummingbird in the US and has been seen in virtually every state except for Hawaii. This fun video will give you a chance to observe the Rufous in action. Note that the people in the video began to offer clear nectar to their hummingbirds after the production of this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=EUEZkwJulBY
Photos From a Hummingbird Banding Session in Missouri
Alaska is home to only one hummingbird, the Rufous hummingbird. These tough, feisty, rusty-colored hummingbirds breed in Alaska and then make the long flight back south to Mexico and Central America. Sometimes they fly east inside of south, creating opportunities for people who only see Ruby-throated hummingbirds to host an exciting and aggressive vagrant hummingbird from the west. The Rufous is the most frequently reported vagrant hummingbird in the US and has been seen in virtually every state except for Hawaii. This fun video will give you a chance to observe the Rufous in action. Note that the people in the video began to offer clear nectar to their hummingbirds after the production of this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=EUEZkwJulBY
2011/2012 Upcoming Events
· Henderson Hummingbird Hurrah, Henderson, MN: August 21 & 22, 2011. Visit http://hhh.hendersonmn.com/ for more information.
· Strawberry Plains Audubon Hummingbird Migration Festival, Holly Springs, MS: September 9-11, 2011. Contact Kristin Lamberson at 662-252-1155 or Klamberson@audubon.org for more information.
· Michael & Kathi Rock Community Hummingbird Garden Tour, Madison, WI: September 11, 1-5:30 p.m. and Wednesday, September 14, 3-7 p.m., 2011 Contact Kathi Rock at kathijr@yahoo.com for more information.
· Hummer/Bird Celebration, Rockport, Texas: September 15-17, 2011. Contact www.rockportfulton.org or 1-800-210-0380 for more information.
· Fall Banding Session At Fort Morgan State Historical Park, Fort Morgan, AL: October 8-20, 2011. Contact Bob or Martha Sargent at Rubythroat@aol.com or 205-681-2888 for more information.
· Spring Banding at Fort Morgan State Historical Park, Fort Morgan, AL: March 31-April 12, 2012. Contact Bob or Martha Sargent at Rubythroat@aol.com or 205-681-2888 for more information.
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