Something is happening to...

[the_wholigan]

.



...my.hummingbirds.  Two weeks ago, I had more than 2 dozen.  Now, I'm lucky if I see 2 or 3 all day.  The only thing I can think of  is a cat getting them.  My closest  neighbors are half mile or  away.

Edit: The 1st video is May 10 '08.  The 2nd is late August '07

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Comments

[moon_chylde]

I get a lot of hummers in the spring, and again in the fall. It's like they're just passing through to go somewhere else for the summer. Maybe that's what's going on with yours.

[the_wholigan]

I don't think so. In the past, I used to get more & more as the summer went on, this time last year I was filling my feeders at least once a day.

[15_the_circle]

perhaps they were migratories, just were passing through. 
not sure where you are, did you check the map to see if the wave has passed?

here in Maryland we generally get transients and then some who stay for the summer. 
but not this year: haven't seen one yet and nobody's touching the feeder. 

[the_wholigan]

I live in west-central Indiana. I saw the first on April 22. I have 4 feeders that have 12 feeding holes each, usually at least 6 birds on each, sunup to sundown. I have alot of flowers in my yard also.

[sequiro]

They're breeding. Hummingbird forums fill up every year at this time with posts about disappearing hummers. The males are establishing territories and the females are on eggs or feeding babies. Babies can't be fed on sugar water, they need protein, meaning the ladies are out catching gnats instead of visiting your feeders. They'll be back.

[the_wholigan]

I hope so.

[the_wholigan]

I've only lived here a few years, and last year was really, really dry, I think that's why I had so many. Still, this is first year I've noticed such a drastic change, it just surprised me, that's all.

[the_wholigan]

I seem to get the most action at my feeders in the wee morning (just before and at sunup) and in the evening as the birds stock up on food for sleeping.

I do too, but not in the past couple weeks. I've got a climatis (sp?) that's in bloom now, so we'll see...