Hummer frenzy!

[Diane]

Yes, absolutely. Migration is cranking up now. I get twice as many species during migration as I do during the summer and winter.

[Piper]

Very cool! Is the H2 migratory?

Julie

[Mehera]

My favorites here in Colorado are the Rufus hummers; they have huge opinions of themselves and drive everyone else away from the feeders; one little bird will sit on a nearby branch all day craning its neck to spot rivals. And they glint like copper in the sun. But most of the summer we have lots of broadtails, and I suspect some smaller, different ones earlier--but it's hard to tell.

They do their high flying courtship displays right off my deck--such daring do and manliness!

All the birds get so carried away chasing each other that stunning themselves against the glass deck doors is a regular occurence. Sometimes I have to go out and put a little shelter over them while they recover.

[Mehera]

Very cool! Is the H2 migratory?

I know that they go between Texas and Colorado frequently.

[Diane]

Most of the H2s around here are too busy being someone's ego to migrate!

The Rufus are notorious for being territorial terrors. I have them here year round, along with Annas and Allens. They will beat back much larger Annas, although they have a bit of a challenge from the Allens. I get Caliope and Black Chin and Broadtail during migration periods...

[Piper]

Just looked up all these little guys. Very nice! All's we get on the east coast are ruby-throated. They are so amazing to watch. I'm jealous!

Julie

[Tmai]

Such a variety of hummers out west! I still love our little rubys though. They come through here from July through about late Sept. Not shy at all! We get a pretty good crowd here as several nearby neighbors also have big flowering plants and put feeders out.
Nice pic, Mehera!

[desertgal]

We have lots of Hummingbirds in the desert. Several species, especially when they are migrating through on their trip north. Several times one has tried to fly through the big window in my front room. They knock themselves unconcious and my husband revives them by feeding them nectar with a hypodermic syringe. One time we had one under a colander on the kitchen counter. We kept peeking at it to see if it had revived and then, to my surprise, it flew out into the house. It finally landed on the crown molding in the living room. My husband put a large piece of dowel rod next to it, it stepped on and he carried it outside. I am attaching a picture of one that he is reviving. How many of you have held a hummingbird in your hand?

[Diane]

That is a great picture! They are amazing creatures. I've had a couple knock themselves out.

[Mehera]

I had one knock itself out flying into the glass and then land upside down in one of the cracks between the boards of the deck. It's poor little feet were up in the air and I knew it couldn't get out of that fix himself. I gently pryed him out and held him until he came around a little and I could put him in a shady sheltered spot until he could fly off.

Sometimes, though, they kill themselves flying into the glass. Not too often, as dirty as my windows usually are. LOL