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!