I can't believe how lucky I've been in sighting hummingbirds this summer. Not only have I had more visits than usual in my own backyard, I also had late June sightings in NY at Cornell's Sapsucker Woods birdblind (along with Shelley and Rose :love: ), at the Peace Valley birdblind and along their trails in PA since early June, and also in NJ at an Audubon Nature Center about 20 miles or so from Cape May just last week.
I never seem to get early summer visitors in my backyard, but since the beginning of August, I've had more visits than I can recall in past years. Although only once did I see more than one at a time, the visits came at all times of the day from early morning, to mid-day, to late afternoon and dusk. There seemed to be a preference for flowers (this year's red salvia has been popular) over my hummingbird feeder, but perhaps that's because the yellow-jackets seem to be claiming the main feeder as their own. I put out a second feeder, and it was hanging less than 5 minutes before a hummingbird appeared on the scene to test it. I've decided that the design of the feeder is a failure although I may still use it as a decorative garden ornament. It's a crystal red apple with just a single tube coming out of the bottom. The main problem I see is that it constantly leaks and too much of the sugar water drips out even when a bee tries to get a sip.
Earlier today I had a brief backyard sighting, but by the time I got my camera, the hummingbird was gone. Even if that was my last sighting of the season, I've got no complaints over all the beauties that I've enjoyed in 2003.
~~Leequi
