Go Back   Winnipesaukee Forum > Winnipesaukee Forums > Winni Wildlife
Home Forums Gallery Webcams Blogs YouTube Channel Classifieds Calendar Register FAQDonate Members List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 09-07-2020, 12:35 PM   #1
chaseisland
Senior Member
 
chaseisland's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Concord, NH
Posts: 152
Thanks: 17
Thanked 66 Times in 42 Posts
Default Headed South

Hummingbirds left three days ago without a thank you for the sucrose solution.

About the same time started seeing monarch butterflies on their migration to warmer territory.

Used to enjoy Winter, but now just tolerate it.
chaseisland is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2020, 01:01 PM   #2
upthesaukee
Senior Member
 
upthesaukee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Alton Bay
Posts: 5,544
Blog Entries: 2
Thanks: 2,393
Thanked 1,918 Times in 1,061 Posts
Default I'm thinking so

I'm thinking you may be correct. The nectar was down into the base on Friday, so I filled it with the last of my nectar.

I thought I saw one making a quick trip in to the feeder yesterday, but no action like we've had over the past few weeks.

I'll keep my feeder out for another week or so.

Dave
__________________
I Live Here... I am always UPTHESAUKEE !!!!
upthesaukee is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2020, 01:39 PM   #3
FlyingScot
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Tuftonboro and Sudbury, MA
Posts: 2,208
Thanks: 1,108
Thanked 934 Times in 576 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by upthesaukee View Post
I'm thinking you may be correct. The nectar was down into the base on Friday, so I filled it with the last of my nectar.

I thought I saw one making a quick trip in to the feeder yesterday, but no action like we've had over the past few weeks.

I'll keep my feeder out for another week or so.

Dave
Question so I can be prepared for next year. Years ago I bought a feeder, but when I read the instructions, it said I needed to freshen nectar 2X/week. I'm not that ambitious, so I shelved it. How often do you change the solution?
FlyingScot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2020, 02:15 PM   #4
Newbiesaukee
Senior Member
 
Newbiesaukee's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Coral Gables, winter; Long Island, summer
Posts: 1,349
Thanks: 921
Thanked 569 Times in 295 Posts
Default

In past years, about once every 10 days. In the past month, about every 3 days. I always seem to have about 3 hummingbirds a season...but admittedly I can’t really tell them apart beyond sex. Somehow, this year they just seem more active. They were still here this am. I had read that they switch to a more protein diet and less sugar water prior to migrating. Again, I do not know if this is really the case.

We are really home bound this year, so perhaps I am just being more observant.
__________________


"You're only young once, but you can be immature forever."
Newbiesaukee is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Newbiesaukee For This Useful Post:
FlyingScot (09-07-2020), joey2665 (09-07-2020)
Old 09-07-2020, 02:36 PM   #5
upthesaukee
Senior Member
 
upthesaukee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Alton Bay
Posts: 5,544
Blog Entries: 2
Thanks: 2,393
Thanked 1,918 Times in 1,061 Posts
Default Varies

Quote:
Originally Posted by FlyingScot View Post
Question so I can be prepared for next year. Years ago I bought a feeder, but when I read the instructions, it said I needed to freshen nectar 2X/week. I'm not that ambitious, so I shelved it. How often do you change the solution?
It varies. I'm not sure how many birds we have, seems to be 6 or more. Usually they go through the solution in about 10 days, less days when the they first arrive and less days when they are getting ready to leave. The less (fewer) is because they are eating us out of house and home. I go through 4-5 qts of solution per season, very late Apr to early/ mid Sept.

Dave
__________________
I Live Here... I am always UPTHESAUKEE !!!!
upthesaukee is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to upthesaukee For This Useful Post:
FlyingScot (09-07-2020)
Sponsored Links
Old 09-07-2020, 04:08 PM   #6
Hillcountry
Senior Member
 
Hillcountry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: In the hills
Posts: 2,342
Thanks: 1,580
Thanked 761 Times in 456 Posts
Default

I believe some have left on migration but I have at least one that sips a few times a day...not like a week ago when they were very active.
Hillcountry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2020, 04:25 PM   #7
Barney Bear
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 962
Thanks: 495
Thanked 273 Times in 174 Posts
Default Here's The Solution

Heat four cups of water in a Pyrex bowl for three minutes. Then stir in one cup of white sugar until the solution is clear. After it cools, store it in the refrigerator. We put in about a cup of yummy water in each feeder each weekend. Rinse out the feeder each time before adding water - dangerous for our tiny friends to drink moldy solution. Hummers have been visiting today here on East Bear Island. 🐻
Barney Bear is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Barney Bear For This Useful Post:
FlyingScot (09-07-2020)
Old 09-14-2020, 09:17 AM   #8
hilltopper
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Meredith
Posts: 714
Thanks: 25
Thanked 105 Times in 66 Posts
Default

9/14 and I have still been seeing hummingbirds every day. Not as often or as many as a couple of weeks ago, but they are still here. I can't say I ever remember them hanging around this long.
hilltopper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-14-2020, 10:55 AM   #9
Woody38
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 564
Thanks: 46
Thanked 104 Times in 75 Posts
Default

My last hummingbird left sometime last weekend. There was one male that kept coming every half hour just prior to last weekend and then he disappeared.

One female did stay at the window momentarily.


Sucrose solution does not have to be made with boiled or heated water. I use 1/4 cup white sugar mixed into 1 cup of warm water (dissolves quicker than cold) although I have used cold water from the fridge dispenser.

Will be waiting for them next year.

The honey bees are having a great time on the Red Sedum. Making honey for my neighbor. Honey is good in tea.

____________________________________

I am a retired workaholic and continuing aquaholic
Woody38 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-14-2020, 11:32 AM   #10
Newbiesaukee
Senior Member
 
Newbiesaukee's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Coral Gables, winter; Long Island, summer
Posts: 1,349
Thanks: 921
Thanked 569 Times in 295 Posts
Default

Mine have been gone since 9/11.
__________________


"You're only young once, but you can be immature forever."
Newbiesaukee is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-14-2020, 11:48 AM   #11
Barney Bear
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 962
Thanks: 495
Thanked 273 Times in 174 Posts
Default Gone, But Not Forgotten

Have not seen any of our tiny guests this weekend on East Bear Island. Au revoir. 🐻
Barney Bear is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-14-2020, 12:33 PM   #12
upthesaukee
Senior Member
 
upthesaukee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Alton Bay
Posts: 5,544
Blog Entries: 2
Thanks: 2,393
Thanked 1,918 Times in 1,061 Posts
Default Last two days

Haven't seen any in the last two days, right after a mixed up a small batch of "go juice".

Figures. I'll give it a few more days.

Dave
__________________
I Live Here... I am always UPTHESAUKEE !!!!
upthesaukee is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-14-2020, 05:34 PM   #13
upthesaukee
Senior Member
 
upthesaukee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Alton Bay
Posts: 5,544
Blog Entries: 2
Thanks: 2,393
Thanked 1,918 Times in 1,061 Posts
Default Update

Update: after a couple of days not seeing any hummingbirds, this evening we've had 1 (or 2?) make several trips to the feeder. Maybe it's waiting for the hurricane to get out of the way .

Dave
__________________
I Live Here... I am always UPTHESAUKEE !!!!
upthesaukee is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-16-2020, 03:07 PM   #14
Nagigator
Senior Member
 
Nagigator's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Central Ma.
Posts: 290
Thanks: 268
Thanked 55 Times in 39 Posts
Default

My Hummingbirds are gone, but I've got a Baltimore oriole feeding on the hummer feeder. He's been hanging around for a couple of weeks now. I put an orange half out for him, but he prefers the feeder. Go figure.
Nagigator is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:39 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.

This page was generated in 0.28562 seconds