Hummingbirds

[jmcquown]

I just cleaned and refilled the hummingbird feeder. I can see the
feeder from the glass corner of the living room where my desk sits or
from the couch (big picture window) in the den. A male ruby-throat just
showed up to say thank you. :)

I observed some hummingbird behaviour early last evening that I'd never
seen before. A welcome to summer thunderstorm had just blown through.

I was kicked back on the couch, reading. Looked out the window and saw
a hummingbird flitting around at the ends of a very mature pine tree.
It went from branch to branch, just like it would if there were flowers
with nectar.

There are budding pine cones on the branches so I'm wondering if it was
gathering sap? Or could be there are lots of little bugs flitting
around those branches near dusk. Noseeums, they call them around here.
Tiny little gnats.

At any rate, it was fun to see that hummingbird flitting around the ends
of the branches like that.

Jill

[Savageduck]

I just cleaned and refilled the hummingbird feeder. I can see the
feeder from the glass corner of the living room where my desk sits or
from the couch (big picture window) in the den. A male ruby-throat just
showed up to say thank you. :)
I observed some hummingbird behaviour early last evening that I'd never
seen before. A welcome to summer thunderstorm had just blown through.
I was kicked back on the couch, reading. Looked out the window and saw
a hummingbird flitting around at the ends of a very mature pine tree.
It went from branch to branch, just like it would if there were flowers
with nectar.
There are budding pine cones on the branches so I'm wondering if it was
gathering sap? Or could be there are lots of little bugs flitting
around those branches near dusk. Noseeums, they call them around here.
Tiny little gnats.
At any rate, it was fun to see that hummingbird flitting around the ends
of the branches like that.
Jill

Yup! hummingbirds need more than nectar, or sugar water, they also need protein. They will go for flies, gnats, etc. You can get feeders which you can load with fruit (orange halves, etc) to attract fruit flies, which the hummers will feed on.

Check the Duncraft catalog online.

<https://www.duncraft.com/Hummingbird-Protein-Feeder>

<https://www.duncraft.com/Humm-Yumm-Protein-PLUS-Nectar-Feeder>

[jmcquown]

Post by Savageduck

I just cleaned and refilled the hummingbird feeder. I can see the
feeder from the glass corner of the living room where my desk sits or
from the couch (big picture window) in the den. A male ruby-throat just
showed up to say thank you. :)
I observed some hummingbird behaviour early last evening that I'd never
seen before. A welcome to summer thunderstorm had just blown through.
I was kicked back on the couch, reading. Looked out the window and saw
a hummingbird flitting around at the ends of a very mature pine tree.
It went from branch to branch, just like it would if there were flowers
with nectar.
There are budding pine cones on the branches so I'm wondering if it was
gathering sap? Or could be there are lots of little bugs flitting
around those branches near dusk. Noseeums, they call them around here.
Tiny little gnats.
At any rate, it was fun to see that hummingbird flitting around the ends
of the branches like that.
Jill

Yup! hummingbirds need more than nectar, or sugar water, they also need protein. They will go for flies, gnats, etc. You can get feeders which you can load with fruit (orange halves, etc) to attract fruit flies, which the hummers will feed on.
Check the Duncraft catalog online.
<https://www.duncraft.com/Hummingbird-Protein-Feeder>
<https://www.duncraft.com/Humm-Yumm-Protein-PLUS-Nectar-Feeder>

Duncraft is a tad expensive. I've got a feeder that I can load with
orange halves (around here they are used to attract Orioles along with
grape jelly) and nectar. I haven't been to the store to buy oranges lately.

It was fun to see a hummingbird flitting around the ends of pine tree
branches. :)

Jill in Southern SC