As I started to water today I scared off the visiting Ruby Throated Hummingbird. I decided to sit with the camera and video camera after I finished watering. It took a few minutes but the little guy showed up again. He started in the back of the yards trying to feed on Rose Moss. That wasn’t working for him so he quickly moved to the front of the yard just across from where I was waiting with the cameras. I though this was a visitor because he is so spooked by any movement but looking at the picture it just could be the juvenile male that has been here for a few months. With his adult female protector gone I guess it is easy to understand why he might be a little spooked by people moving.

We had two females here all summer and they didn’t get along with each other. One of the females would chase the young male out of the yard. Several times while the young male was being chased the second female would intervene and chase off the first female. The second female and young male would then leave together with no aggression shown. I always thought that once a bird had fledged the adult wouldn’t have anything to do with the sibling.

Time to bust another MYTH!

Its just a few days away from the start of fall and hummingbird activity at the feeders and plants has slowed down. We have four feeders and a host of Hummingbird friendly plants and I believe the two females, that have been at the house all summer, have left and only the juvenile male and the occasional hummer passing by have been seen.

The MYTH is if you leave your feeders out the Hummingbirds will stay. I have lived in Cincinnati and Indianapolis and the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are gone by the first of October. The truth is the adult males leave first, about mid July to the first of August. The adult females leave about mid September and the juveniles are gone by mid October, other parts of the country are different. I will keep my Hummingbird feeders up until the temperatures drop into the 20’s. I also change the mix to a 1:1 mix, one part sugar to one part water. This will give the Hummers passing through a little more energy to make it to the next flower or feeder on their long journey.

I have read on some web sites the Rufous Hummingbirds will come east for the winter. One of the Hummingbird mapping sites had several sightings in Ohio and Indiana of the Rufous Hummingbird in January and February so if its warm enough my feeder will be out with a 1:1 mix to welcome this rare winter time visitor!

Alternatives to artificial hummer food

Ok, you don’t like the idea of making artificial food for your little green friends and you want to beautify your outdoor space with hummer friendly flowers. Here is a list of the flowers I have found the Ruby-throated humming birds like the most. They are listed by most popular to the hummers.

1. Cuphea Ignea A.K.A Cigar plant, Cigar flower, firecracker plant and hummingbird plant.

This plant is by far the most popular with the Ruby-throated hummers that have visited my flowers. The female in the picture above feeds on plants and not at feeders. The Cuphea is the one I see her at the most often. For more information on this plant http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1333/

2. Ipomoea Sloteri A. K. A. Cardinal Climber.

This plant is also very popular with the Ruby-throated hummingbird. A new plant to our garden, this is the second year of growing Cardinal Climber. I try to plant this so it will be in full bloom in time for the adult male migration around the first of August. Cardinal Climber is a vine that needs a long or tall support. For more information on this plant http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/662/

3. Ruellia elegans A.K.A. Raging Cajun

When this plant is in full bloom it is a beautiful sight! Just a few plants can make a wall of red. A Ruby-throated Hummingbird can almost fit its head in the open flower and they often do. The down side to this plant is the flower its self, it falls off after a day or two. The Raging Cajun is the only Petunia the I can say the Ruby-throated Hummingbird will feed on.
For more information on this plant http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/163129/

THE NASTY RED DYE!

I’ll start out today to dispel my favorite hummingbird myth, THE NASTY RED DYE!
Over the years I’ve heard dozens of people talk about the red dye, how they think they cant attract hummers with out using it in their feeders.
Last year while at the store buying a new feeder I ran across an older couple looking at hummingbird food. I though I would help them out and let them know how to make their own hummer soup. In short order I was informed that their hummers didn’t like food that didn’t have the red dye in it. I laughed to my self as I thought, their hummers and my hummers are one in the same.

The truth is you can make hummers food out of table sugar! You don’t need the NASTY RED DYE!!!
If you make your own hummer food please use sugar made from cane not the cheaper beat sugar. Both the NASTY RED DYE & sugar made from beats can be HARMFUL to hummingbirds. From all the web pages I have read you can use anywhere from 1 part sugar to 4 parts water to 1 part sugar to 1 part water. We start hummingbird season with a 1 to 1 mix, ½ cup sugar to ½ cup water near the end of the season, when all of my hummingbird plants have kicked in, we drop to 1 to 3 mix, ¼ cup sugar to ¾ cup water. During fall migration we will go back to the 1 part sugar to one part water. You don’t need to boil the water, the bacteria is carried by the hummingbirds. As soon as the first hummer visits your feeder the bacteria has been transferred to the food.

My favorite Ruby-throat picture.

Lets start with one of my favorite Ruby-throat pictures.
This picture was shot in early evening, this female hummingbird sat on this hook often keeping watch over her flowers. The Ruby-throat tends to be a very territorial hummingbird. I have seen many pictures and videos that show several hummingbirds at a feeder, at one time, but I have not seen this behavior in Ohio or Indiana.