Humming along

[Howieh]

I think I have a RTH (not red tailed hawk) nesting in crab apple tree...a few years ago I had one nesting in apple tree.

I have an old red Liberal cap from a campaign for Colleen Beaumier. On several occasions, when I've worn it, I've found RTH's attracted to it to the point that the peck at my head.

Jo-Anne is probably envious because the RTHs surely are much gentler than blackbirds when headpecking! Anyway, yesterday I was filling the regular feeder when I noticed quite a commotion in the hummingbird feeder chamber; it looked like the Olympic swimming trials because at least a dozen ants had gotten into the chamber and were dog (ok, ant) paddling while trying to figure a way out! It's been pretty quiet and, even though hummers eat small insects, I thought the chemicals produced by the ants (black ants, some pretty large) would deter them, but as I write this at least three different birds have visited the feeder and don't seem to mind the ants (I guess ants are just a minor annoyance when you're used to dodging hornets!). Unfortunately I can't use the water bottle moat in the present feeder location and the sticky tape loses it's effectiveness pretty fast so I may take down the regular feeder and move the hummingbird feeder to the shepherds hook. How is everyone else doing with their hummers?

[Bird Brain]

Jo-Anne is probably envious because the RTHs surely are much gentler than blackbirds when headpecking!

Howie ... I've been walking with an umbrella this month to protect my head!   :lol:   Everyone at the lake is getting head pecked!  Someone suggested perhaps they want to use my hair for their nest, but a bald man is also being attacked!

[Howieh]

Jo-Anne is probably envious because the RTHs surely are much gentler than blackbirds when headpecking!

Howie ... I've been walking with an umbrella this month to protect my head!   :lol:   Everyone at the lake is getting head pecked!  Someone suggested perhaps they want to use my hair for their nest, but a bald man is also being attacked!

At least they don't discriminate! Why don't you try wearing an electric hairnet to give the little buggers (am I allowed to say that??) a jolt?...must be something in the waters of Lake Acquitaine!

[JW Mills]

A rare treat, both the male and female Hummers showed up today!

[Axeman]

For starters, I'm bald.

Re: ants -- yes the ants do affect the taste of the nectar. All ants have the same venom as bees and wasps and are classified as hymenopterous insects. While drowning in the nectar they are likely secreting venom and pheromones. The venom would add a very acidic bitter taste to the nectar. As for the black ants, they are likely Campanotus sp. or carpenter ants. Believe it or not, you can get a whole degree in ants...and I got one ! lol

To stop the ants, I put my feeder on a shepherds hook and plaster vaseline all over it. Every couple of weeks I top it up.

[Howieh]

We just returned from a short holiday near the Thousand Islands and as I expected the hummer feeder chamber WAS full of ants. I've already cleaned it up and replaced the nectar and after installing a moat made from the bottom of a 500ml water bottle (for me easier than vaseline and almost never needs refilling because summer showers usually top it up!) I moved it to the shepherds hook. My two regular hummers (a male and a female) had no trouble relocating their food source and the chickadees and gold finches found the regular feeder immediately but the stupid cardinals and their baby cowbird   seem a bit confused. The parents keep landing on the shepherds hook and I still haven't seen them at the other feeder! Btw, the ants stormed the regular feeder right after I moved it but it didn't take them long to realize the sweets were gone and they quickly disappeared.

Ok Howie, you spoke too soon....I just watched a young hummer perched on the regular feeder; after some coaxing by me it finally went to the hummingbird feeder, guess all's well that ends well!

[JW Mills]

If you're not into making one, you can buy an ant moat for about 5 bucks.
 
 

[Axeman]

Vaseline not work for you ? I find it's good too even for the squirrels (reds), chipmunks and raccoons while they're still around (keep in mind, we have the dumb cousin to the smart urban raccoon...rural raccoon.

[Howieh]

I've used vaseline on the shepherds hook but it seems to lose it's slippery properties after a few days (maybe I'll try K-Y jelly next!). Anyway, the feeder switch has worked really well - the ant moat is 100% effective and the hummers are using my designated perch before going to the feeder so I'm getting lots of pictures from a sitting position, which is good because I'm having trouble walking (or standing). Of course the squirrels and a chipmonk have finally gotten to the regular feeder but I'll leave it up anyway because I enjoy watching the food fights between the goldfinches and the cardinals.

[mr.sharp-photo]

I've used vaseline on the shepherds hook but it seems to lose it's slippery properties after a few days (maybe I'll try K-Y jelly next!). Anyway, the feeder switch has worked really well - the ant moat is 100% effective and the hummers are using my designated perch before going to the feeder so I'm getting lots of pictures from a sitting position, which is good because I'm having trouble walking (or standing). Of course the squirrels and a chipmonk have finally gotten to the regular feeder but I'll leave it up anyway because I enjoy watching the food fights between the goldfinches and the cardinals.

KY Jelly is water soluble, so i wouldn't suggest it. it will dry out or wash off with rain.
use oils, like mineral oil, which are non-toxic.

and i'm hummerless this year. sad. means that my guy from last year didn't make it back

[Rob'in'To]

We had a couple random Hummingbird sightings since May but the last week or so we've got 2 Hummingbirds, a pair perhaps, coming at dawn and dusk.  No sign of them through the day hours but almost like clock work, come 8:30pm and they are out there.

I planted Bee Balm a few years ago and they are taking to the flowers now, something I'd never seen before.  I also planted some kind of "butterfly weed" and they are on those buds too.

[Howieh]

I was outside early yesterday morning to take pictures of the moon and Venus at sunrise, went to the back yard in time to see two hummers drinking from opposite sides of the feeder. They took off but one of my regular males came by and posed for me on a branch I'd set up last week so things are definitely picking up. I was standing beside the feeder last week when both males showed up at the same time. A dogfight ensued with both birds flying around my feet a few inches above the ground. Boy, are they noisy when they're fighting!

[Axeman]

Nice pic !!

I have a feeder up on our deck hanging on a shepherds hook and it's filled with readymade nectar but NOTHING is attracted to my feeder...not RTH's or bees, wasps or ants....the RTH's are visiting the flowers we have in deck planters...anyone else find RTH's ignoring feeders for real flowers ?

[Howieh]

Nice pic !!

I have a feeder up on our deck hanging on a shepherds hook and it's filled with readymade nectar but NOTHING is attracted to my feeder...not RTH's or bees, wasps or ants....the RTH's are visiting the flowers we have in deck planters...anyone else find RTH's ignoring feeders for real flowers ?

Thanks. Until last year I had purple phlox that had 'migrated' from a neighbors yard and the hummers loved it but they still went to the feeder. I'm surprised your feeder has no traffic but, unless your nectar mixture is very weak, you should have wasps by mid August! What kind of flowers are attracting the hummers?

[JW Mills]

Non-stop action today!
We've had over twenty visits to the feeder this afternoon, at least 4 different Hummers! At one point we saw three (either female or juvies) at the same time, two were doing a little aerial battle over the feeder while a third was sitting in the tree. The 4th was a male.