[NatureNS] more on feeding hummingbirds

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From: Bev Wigney <bkwigney@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 3 Jul 2016 08:43:41 -0300
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All,

My experience is similar to what Cam Finley describes.  I used to put
out feeders from 2010 to 2015, but over the past few years since
buying this place, I've also been working to increase native plants
and also non-native perennials in my gardens.  I also have some
rhodies that are getting large.  There are now a lot of plants
flowering throughout the whole spring and summer.  About two summers
ago, I noticed that the hummers were barely using the feeders,
especially as the plants really started to bloom.  Last year, after a
couple or so weeks, I just took the feeders down as I realized that
they birds preferred the flowers over the feeders. I don't mind as
this was actually what I've been working toward since coming here in
2010.  I should also mention that my next door neighbours had feeders
on their porch for about 20 years, but at the same time as I noticed
that hummers were ignoring my feeders, the same happened to theirs.
However, from my upstairs room, looking down on my garden, I soon
discovered that the hummers that customarily nested in a particular
tree in their yard were flying back and forth into my yard to feed on
the abundant flowers.  By the way, this spring, I have been
encountering hummers back in my forest quite regularly.  I don't
recall them being back there so much before this year.  However, there
are a lot of native plants that flower along the brook alongside my
property, and I have a big stand of Fireweed that they love to visit.
Maybe they've decided to make more use of the forest now.  So,
Eleanor, I'm wondering if maybe you have a neighbour somewhere who has
been cultivating a sort of wild garden for bees and butterflies, and
that birds are being attracted by that?  I can see how the shift to
native plant gardens may have quite an effect on bird and insect
activity as I'm seeing it here in my own gardens where I photography
insects every day from spring through autumn.

Bev Wigney
Round Hill

>> Begin forwarded message:
>>
>>> From: Joy and Cam <joyandcamfinlay@shaw.ca>
>>> Subject: Re: more on feeding hummingbirds
>>> Date: July 2, 2016 at 8:30:32 PM ADT
>>> To: Jim Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
>>>
>>> Jim
>>>     Male arrive first and immediately search out territory and quickly
>>> look for newly arriving females to breed them as they have just arrived.
>>> Once females are bred, males leave to find more receptive females or else
>>> head on the way south or search out more food sources.  Males have only
>>> one duty or function which is to copulate and get on with surviving.
>>> They have  nothing to do with nest building and raising young, only to
>>> breed and then leave.
>>>     The lady who commented that the birds only take one sip and then
>>> leave,  probably means they have found a better source  of food.  We
>>> often see that out here too when wild food sources are much more
>>> attractive than sugar water in feeders.  In fact at times when arbutus is
>>> in full flower or other native plants are in bloom the feeders remain
>>> totally unused for days at a time.
>>> Hope that clears up the concern.  OH yes, don’t use soap to clean or if
>>> soap is used then thoroughly rinse out the soap.
>>> Best wishes
>>> Cam
>>>

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