First hummingbird sighting of 2018

[mr.sharp-photo]

well, yesterday was pretty swell. was preparing dinner and, at 6 pm, noticed a hummingbird at our feeder. it didn't stay long. we went outside to have dinner and were sitting 6 ft from the feeder and, at 7:30 pm, the hummingbird flew by, hovered over the cable line, then came and fed at the feeder for 30 seconds. it's a female, we think. she didn't care much that we were there. was pretty great.

[Howieh]

It looks like you've made a friend for life or at least for the summer, and if she is nesting nearby and things go well the fledglings should arrive by early July. Even without any flowers to keep them around I often have 3 or 4 fighting(?) over the feeder during July and August. Btw, I have a pair of Orioles visiting the humminbird feeder and, needless to say, the hummers, especially the male, are not amused! I love having the orioles around so I am going to rig a platform on top of the shepherds hook so I can put out some oranges.

[Howieh]

I stuck an orange slice above the regular feeder but the orioles completely ignored it and continued to visit the hummingbird feeder until mid June. I haven't seen them since but the hummer traffic has really picked up - this evening I had a male and at least three others chasing each other all over the yard (not sure if the fledglings have arrived yet?) - too dark for stills but I've shot lots of video, such as it is, with the SX50. The male is always the last to leave; he sits above the feeder until it's nearly pitch dark, has a final feed and disappears into the shrubbery or heads across the street into the Bestview Park woods.

[Napper]

My wife spotted  a female Ruby Throat Humming bird taking water from the tops of flowering
Hibiscus syriacus (Rose of Sharon's) at Front window this morning.

It hung around for a while, came to rest on a DATA cable running to neighbours house. It was  too dark for photo's

This is good as we don't have a feeder out.

Feels strange not being at Tiny beaches  :roll:

napper:)