Author Topic: My Humkids made it alive!!! Updated July - Face to Face!! (Read 9376 times)

Jonna · « **Reply #60 on:** June 21, 2008, 03:03:11 PM »

What a wonderful story! I'm so glad there is a happy ending and that Babes made it off on her/his own. I think that first flight is a dangerous one for them, we had one nest where the baby first flew and then landed on the ground. Mom was frantic buzzing it and trying to force it to fly up but it was so tired it sat there. We guarded it from the dogs and finally it was breathing slower and it flew up onto a tree limb with mom right by it the whole way encouraging it. Whew!

Have you considered putting up a feeder so Babes can stay in your yard? Hummers are so territorial that they make it hard for a new one to feed.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #61 on:** June 21, 2008, 03:59:18 PM »

Thank you Jonna! We keep spotting Babes and Momma in the backyard. Every so often one of us will shout out "I see Babes!"

I'm tempted to put up a hummingbird feeder but I know that with our warm weather and most importantly laziness will make it a failure. It is a mundane job to keep the feeder fresh in this weather. Don't want to be the one to spread a disease through our hum population.

But I do have my garden chock full of blooms for hummingbirds and bees. This year most of the flowers are very mature and attractive to the b&b's....obviously!

Kittyzee · « **Reply #62 on:** June 21, 2008, 07:19:21 PM »

This was a captivating, real life story and just like a novel, I'm sad to see it come to an end. So bittersweet to learn to love these little birds and watch them live their lives and then in the blink of an eye they are gone :'( But it is as it should be, babies grow up with the help of their parents to teach them and then they leave and have babies of their own and so it goes....

Thank you for sharing with us. Hummingbirds have always interested me and when I was in grade school did a science fair project on them. I was amazing to learn at the smallness of their nests and made one for the project. I used navy beans for the eggs in the nest and people (including the teachers) were amazed!!

Indiana Karen · « **Reply #63 on:** June 21, 2008, 07:57:02 PM »

Ahhhhhhhh, I just love happy endings

Thank you so much for all of the photos and updates. I think you have been very lucky to watch the little hummer leave the nest and spot him in your yard afterward.
So many times we have watched nests (not hummers) with the baby birds there one minute, gone the next and never able to see them again. I hope they stick around your yard!

Karen

Sandye · « **Reply #64 on:** June 21, 2008, 09:29:04 PM »

Thank you for the wonderful photoblog, Annette! The picture of Babes out of the nest and on a tree all by herself/himself was a wonderful ending to the story!

I'm glad you're still seeing Momma Hummer and Babes around the yard.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #65 on:** June 22, 2008, 11:39:20 AM »

Thank you Ladies!

LuAnn your grade school project had to have been amazing for all to see. Until I had these nests in my yard this spring I never knew or thought how small a world these creatures evolved around. AND I was able to share this experience with all my family and neighbors and friends. I'm sure Babes will never the forget his/her childhood here with so many pairs of eyes watching every move it made!

Karen and Sandye today I saw Babes sitting on a string lighting wire. Babes must be attached to these wires!?!

When ever one of us see Momma or Babes there is an acute gleeful shout and we all run to a window.

With the heat wave we are experiencing I'm glad such a small bird can survive the elements and survive. It's still the topic of all our conversations.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #66 on:** June 26, 2008, 09:25:06 PM »

I saw Babes tonight. At least it is my hope Babes came back. He/she was sitting on a string of lights (again), still smaller than a full size hum but definitely larger than it was last weekend. Babes seemed comfortable to let me garden nearby.

After a few minutes off it flew. I miss Babes. :'(

I finally cleaned up the mess the Hum family left for me and I was able to chuck the old blinds for a newer set

The patio area seems bigger with all the clearance available to walk through now.

Kittyzee · « **Reply #67 on:** June 27, 2008, 10:51:56 AM »

Yes Annette, I'm sure you miss Babes. There will always be a soft spot and a tug at your heart when you hear the familiar buzz of their wings or see them. What a privilege you had with that family!

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #68 on:** July 17, 2008, 09:33:08 AM »

During the first week of July I set out to create a new lily pond. While I was in the trench (sounds more dramatic than it really is) digging out a pond I heard the buzzing wings of a hummingbird. I looked up and there about 3 feet away was a small, smaller than full grown, hummingbird, hovering in place.

I thought to myself and said out loud "Is that you Babes?"

This small bird just buzzed in place for what felt like forever but maybe only a minute tops. I was excited to think that maybe this was Babes revisiting and checking me out. I also thought, if this wasn't Babes maybe it was going to attack me! Do hummingbirds attack? But this hummingbird was beautiful with lots of emerald green shining markings over the front and back of its little body. It flipped its tongue through the long beak at me.

After a moment it just zipped to a string of lights in the trees just behind me. I just stood there the whole time with shovel in hand watching this little bird. If anyone could hear me talking to this bird they probably thought I was digging too deep in the heat.

I so wanted to scream for my family to come out to check out this visitor but was afraid I would scare it away.

I can never stop wondering the life this Hum family is living now. I still can't make myself take down the little nest. Someone else will have to do it.

This was so such a privilege to see this little miracle of nature.

Kat · « **Reply #69 on:** July 17, 2008, 09:45:20 AM »

How exciting for you!

Got pics of the new pond in progress?

karen J · « **Reply #70 on:** July 17, 2008, 05:50:33 PM »

It probably was your Babes.

Came back for a little visit! They know who you are.

We had a Veranda at our Va house, and it had a skylight. Several times, we had to get the ladder out to rescue Hummingbirds that would fly up into the skylight and get a wing caught in that window. Kevin would climb the ladder, gently remove the stuck wing, and carry the bird down. At first the birds would fly away, but after awhile they caught on that Kevin was their savior.

They'd sit there on his hand for a good long time. They were so nice to us... they'd fly right up to us! Strange thing, being they were so nasty to each other.

Mikey · « **Reply #71 on:** July 17, 2008, 08:50:11 PM »

Cute. I sometimes get buzzed by a hummer when I'm near one of their feeders.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #72 on:** July 17, 2008, 09:42:46 PM »

Kat you probably found the post I have on my new lily pond

I'm not going any further than one though...took too much out of me to get this one up!!

Karen that is such a beautiful experience to be able to save the hummers. Very cute to have them sit on Kevin's hand. Wow. Nice to know they recognize their human family.

Jerry · « **Reply #73 on:** July 17, 2008, 10:18:54 PM »

Wonderful thread. Thanks for sharing. I have been busy, so this was my first chance to read it.

tracey_shafer · « **Reply #74 on:** July 18, 2008, 01:12:09 AM »

I ve just been catching up. Wonderful thread and great pictures.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #75 on:** July 18, 2008, 09:30:06 AM »

Thanks Jerry and Tracy!

I know it seems I'm a bit obsessed with the hummingbirds but I am so amazed by what we were able to witness in our own backyard. I don't think I was so crazy with the turtledoves or robins. Absolutely can't handle mockingbirds though. They are so noisy...24/7!!

greenthumbnails · « **Reply #76 on:** August 16, 2008, 09:32:31 AM »

Annette,

I just found this post and read it start to finish. Lucky you! I have never even seen a hummingbird and was doing a hummingbird search on this forum for a receipe for the birdfeeder that I just bought when I found your post. I was very excited about the pictures

Thanks for sharing. Hope this thread will be archived for a long time.

What do you use in your birdfeeder when you put it up? I guess I missed the season but I'd like to be prepared for next year. I am guessing the season is from Feb to March around here in central Florida.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #77 on:** August 16, 2008, 03:59:21 PM »

Hey Greenthumbnails! You haven't seen the magic of a hummingbird? I'm glad you found this thread! Obsession is my middle name. You have no idea how much mileage I've gotten with this hummingbird diary. Friends and relatives from all over the world have looked here to follow our Hum adventure. When friends visit and see the hum nests that I still have hanging from the string of lights they're thrilled to read this.

About the feeders: Ever since I found out the best way to set up the sugar water feeders is to change the liquid everyday to prevent bad bacteria from forming I decided I couldn't do it. I know I would not remember to clean and replace the liquid in the feeder. I could never want a hum to get sick because of my stupidity. Instead I planted lots of plants in my garden that hums love with lots of natural nectar. This year has been especially busy with hums now that many of the plants I planted over the past few years are blooming like crazy. Ditto with a variety of butterflies.

Jonna · « **Reply #78 on:** August 16, 2008, 05:28:55 PM »

Out in Cathedral City I had one, the size of a test tube, and they emptied it at least once a day, sometimes more. They'd find me wherever I was in the yard and buzz my head until I went and refilled it!

We used just sugar and boiled water, made a batch and kept it in the refrigerator for refilling. My friend there had about 5 feeders at her house next door and they all used the same test tube/floral tube for the liquid. We'd make up a batch, fill about a dozen tubes and keep the filled tubes in the refrigerator too. It made it really easy to just pull the old one, put it to soak and put a new one in. Believe me, they will let you know when you need to do this.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #79 on:** August 17, 2008, 09:15:25 AM »

Jonna, that sounds like a very good way to feed the hums. Where did you get the tube feeder? The feeders I've had and seen are the decorative kind. Mine definitely didn't have removable parts. It was a pain ti clean.

karen J · « **Reply #80 on:** August 17, 2008, 12:35:35 PM »

Jonna, that is a very interesting idea that I would love to try. I know what you mean about floral tubes and/or test tubes. Was there any kind of cover on the tubes? And how did you place them out in the garden? Stick them in a flower pot, or make a tube-holder?

Right now I'm using a "Humzinger" (http://www.hummzinger.biz/). It's the best feeder I've ever had, but I do get lazy and sometimes let it go for a few days. Plus it holds too much 'juice' that I waste when cleaning it out.

Can you put the test tubes in the dishwasher? I clean my feeder with vinegar by hand (pain). I'd love a better way.

Jonna · « **Reply #81 on:** August 17, 2008, 10:51:01 PM »

We bought the ones we had at a craft fair but I found some just like them here. Scroll down to the Holland Hill feeders at the bottom of the page, they even sell the tubes separately. I'll have to tell my friend about this as she always wants more tubes. The more you have made up the easier it is. She works a lot (she's a nurse) and she makes up a week's worth on the weekend and then changes them in the morning and afternoon when she gets home. They are all waiting for her! They are so territorial that they each have their own station and fight all the time if any other hummer comes in. We also got to watch some babies hatch in the orange tree in her yard, it's so wonderful. The ones we have are generally one vial or two vial feeders like a seesaw. They are wrapped with copper wire and when the hummer sits on the piece in front of the vial, it tips towards him and they can get to the last drop. On the two vial ones, if there are 2 hummers on it they look like kids on a see saw, when one flies up, the other one drops down and can get to the last of the juice. They are pretty smart, I've seen one hummer go from one side to the other to make sure he got every last bit.

Oh, and yes you can put them in the dishwasher. We didn't but that's because we didn't run the dishwasher every day. We'd put them in a tupperware container of water and dishsoap and let them soak. Rinse them and then dunk them in either vinegar and water or a little chlorine and water and rinse again, put them upside down on a paper towel for the night. We probably could have just washed them with the dish soap, I usually did the rinse with vinegar and mostly I was concerned that I get all of the soap out of the tube.

greenthumbnails · « **Reply #82 on:** August 18, 2008, 04:31:07 AM »

Very innovative idea, thanks for sharing the link to the website Jonna.

Here is a question for everyone else who has seen a hummingbird and a dragonfly: Which is bigger?

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #83 on:** August 19, 2008, 02:01:56 PM »

Thanks Jonna for sharing that site. Now I understand the tubes you were describing. It's an excellent idea I will definitely use. The small extra tubes will come in handy and they look easy to clean.

Feeders are going up in this garden!

Julles · « **Reply #84 on:** August 19, 2008, 05:26:08 PM »

Most commercial feeders have such a little hole for filling, that it's next to impossible to wash them. I like the feeders that have an opening you can get your hand, or a bottle brush, into.

I love those tubes! And only $1.25 each - I'm going to order some.

One year for Christmas, I made wire sculptures to stick in flower pots, and they were very similar to the wire wrapped around the feeder tubes. I used stripped electrician's wire, found free in homes being built around here, and I still have a lot hanging around here, waiting to be used.

Hmmm. Maybe next year's Christmas gifts!

karen J · « **Reply #85 on:** August 19, 2008, 08:09:28 PM »

Quote from: Julles on August 19, 2008, 05:26:08 PM

Most commercial feeders have such a little hole for filling, that it's next to impossible to wash them. I like the feeders that have an opening you can get your hand, or a bottle brush, into.

I love those tubes! And only $1.25 each - I'm going to order some.

One year for Christmas, I made wire sculptures to stick in flower pots, and they were very similar to the wire wrapped around the feeder tubes. I used stripped electrician's wire, found free in homes being built around here, and I still have a lot hanging around here, waiting to be used.

Hmmm. Maybe next year's Christmas gifts!

I'll send you a present if you send me one.

I love those tubes too. I have a ton of test tubes lying around from Water test kits, but no tops/caps.

Jonna, thanks for that site. I will definitely move towards the test-tube feeders. The hummers here are ferociously defending their food sources. I put another feeder out about 15 feet away from the original one, but the same bird is claiming territory. Females as well. I almost feel like I'm in a Star Wars movie (cuz they sound so much like Light Sabers). And it looks like they're trying to kill each other with their beaks.
I love it. though. The birds are so entertaining and beautiful. We did our first finch feeder this year, and I'm amazed at how many American Goldfinches there are. Didn't notice them until we started feeding them. Funny how they love black-oil Sunfowers, but don't go for the black oil sunflower seeds in the feeder. Half my day is taken up by bird stuff!