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The first hummingbird of the season showed up today and visited the millions of blooms in the hanging pots. It checked out a number of the flowers and then flew past the second pot and made a u-turn and checked out a couple of the flowers before flying off. These flowers are wonderful because I do not have to put out nectar.

My first hummingbird came by last week and has been visiting since. Today the first Baltimore Oriole in my yard stopped to sip from the newly opened quince blossoms. Somehow the orioles and the quinces are on the same schedule. They always seem to show up on the same day. I heard the oriole first, they have such a rich fluting song, and knew right away where to look for him.

Only once have I seen an oriole. They are pretty.

Angie, I see by the birthday cake that has appeared by your name that today is your birthday. Since it's so late, my wish to you is that I hope your day was joyful and happy.


GrannyH

Thank you. Where was there a birthday cake? Yes, yesterday was my birthday. I had a great weekend too. But, best of all, I made my own birthday cake and took it into work to share. It was my favorite - angel food cake, strawberries, pureed strawberries, and loads of whipped cream. It was wonderfully delicious.

Happy Birthday! Your cake sounds delicious and refreshing. A lot of flavor, but not too heavy. Yummy.

Every year I see a hummingbird on May 1 and ladybugs on Christmas Day. It's very funny. It hasn't missed in I can't remember how many years.

Cardinal Flower Vine is their favorite in my garden, but it's late. They love red throated flowers and work the flower bed in late afternoon every day.

Hi Angie. The cake was just to the left of you name and about the same size as the smiley on the right of your name. If you'd like to see what it looked like, Helen Doll Making Editor has a birthday today, so look up some of her posts and you'll see. I think it's neat of BellaO.

About hummingbirds, I bought the stuff to start feeding them, but I didn't know when to start. I gather from the above discussion I should wait until it's warm enough here to start planting. I do have tuplips in full bloom, but it will probably be two more weeks before anything else gets planted. Is there any other way to attract them?

GrannyH

Well, I have used nectar - boil 1 cup water and 1/4 cup sugar - no food coloring. They come around for that.

I have never noticed that before! That birthday cake is neat.

GrannyH, I'd get that hummingbird feeder out now!The hummers usually don't show up around here in No. Indiana until May 10, but they were at least 2 weeks early this year.

It's good I'm hearing that today. My granddaughter loves to feed and watch the birds with me, and she's spends every Thursday afternoon with me. So that's tomorrow, and we'd get that ready then. She also is the one who picks out the flowers with (for) me. But I don't think we'll do that this week. Thanks for the info. GrannyH

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Are there any hummingbird fans living in a city? My DH and I just moved to St. Louis and I hung my feeder early in the week, but there are no hummers coming to it. I grew up in a city in NJ and I never saw a hummer till I moved to a rural part of the state. For the past 12 years I have lived in rural areas of MO and always had hummers at my feeders, but no luck here in the city. Does anyone know if they are in St. Louis? I hung a regular wild bird feeder last night and the neighborhood birds found it and have it about 1/2 empty already, which I'm thrilled about, but I wish I also had some action at the hummingbird feeder.

It may be too late in the season to attract hummers, although you may get some casual visitors during the migration in September. Most hummers settle into a territory in May, which is the prime time to hang your feeder. Also, consider planting some of hummer's favorite flowers this fall, so you will have additional attractions for them next year. Meanwhile, enjoy those neighborhood birds! What are you getting at the feeder?

I am enjoying the neighborhood birds a lot! Mostly little wrens and finches, but a few cardinals, too. After all, this is St. Louis.

I've already had to refill the feeder since Thursday night, so I guess the birds are enjoying it as well.

Woohoo! A hummingbird visited my feeder this morning! And every time I fill my regular feeder there is a feeding frenzy at it. The neighborhood birds empty it every day! Unfortunately, I don't see any of the pretty songbirds that I am used to. I've always lived in rural areas and am used to nuthatches, titmice and chickadees, all I'm seeing is house wrens, and blackbirds that I suspect are either starlings or grackles. Oh well, at least they're birds.

2 days ago 3 of the hummingbirds frequenting my garden appear to have left to head south. Another one I haven't seen here before was at the feeder today. Hope he heads south too before he freezes as it's been very cold and rainy (almost sleeting last night. Does anyone really know when they head south? How's everyone else's hummingbirds doing?

I've had very few this year but I didn't put nectar out. I only had plants that would attract them. What kind of hummingbird do you have?

Here is a site that may be helpful. hummingbird info on migration

I've got a couple of rufous, another one that is totally black with a white necklace and a few beautiful little green ones. Gosh, I thought it had finally left a couple of days ago, but it was at the feeder again this morning! And it was very cold last night, I was worried about frost. The geese were flying south past us yesterday ... hope the little guy heads south soon. Thank you for the link ... very informative. Tried finding out what species the little black one was, but can't find one similar. Have a great weekend!

Write to Cornell and ask about it? This is their web page:

Cornell Labs

Hummingbirds head south when they are ready. Leaving your feeder out won't tempt them to stay too long, in fact it will help them fatten up for the journey.
Here in Northern Indiana I haven't seen any hummingbirds at my feeder for about a week, but I refilled it anyway just in case some migrants from further north are still coming through. Around here we encourage people to leave the HB feeders up until the middle of October.

What humminbirds are you seeing where you live as spring makes its appearance?

Where I live in the Western Central Highlands of Mexico the most common hummingbird is the violet-crowned. Now that the prickly pears/nopal cactus and other red/orange wild flowers are really beginning to bloom I see them regularly on the trails- along with a plethora of bees.

I can't wait for the hummers to show up! I am not sure what type we have but there is a female that nests in our China Berry tree every year.

Are the hummers going to be showing up soon where you live in Oklahoma? Even with my field guides I have trouble identifying some of them (even when I get good photos of them) but whether I know there "names" or not I am always thrilled to see them.

From where I am writing this I have a direct view of our bougainvillea which is now in full bloom and is a "magnet" for at least three different species of hummingbirds and loads of butterflies, particularly monarchs.

I really get a kick out of how territorial those little hummers are as they tenaciously chase off any other ones that are intruding while they are feasting.

I am thinking they will be here in a couple of months. Probably when my honeysuckle starts blooming. After we planted that I noticed the hummingbirds. I love the way it smells. I have it in 2 places in my yard.

The male that comes and visits our feeder has a red collar.

And I too enjoy the antics of those tiny birds.

I did as you all suggested ad left the hummingbird feeder up last year, just in case they stopped by during the migration. I also put it back up this year so that it was ready before they were due back. I just kept it out there, but hadn't seen any action. This morning a lovely little visitor found my large hanging fuschia and my feeder! And has been back twice again. I guess we do have Hummers in St. Louis. WooHoo!

I have been having several Rubythroat hummers at my feeder lately, and this morning a male and female were doing a lot of chasing each other around it. Suddenly he grabbed her and they both fell to the ground, where he stood on her head and kept her pinned down for several minutes while she struggled to get up. She kept presenting her tail but he didn't seem interested. If that was hummer courtship, it is pretty aggressive!

We only get one type of hummingbird here in Massachusetts but I'm happy with them We have six different petunia plant baskets to lure them in, plus some fuschia and lantana. They seem to like the lantana most of all, and dart around all of its little blossoms. We used to put out nectar feeders in the past but between the ants and bees clogging it up it just wasn't worth it. So now we have a big rubbermaid container of all our old nectar feeders, and just have the flowers out.

Maybe I should scrub out one of the nectar feeders and put it up just to see if they visit it too over the flowers

Hi Lisa,

It won't stop the bees but maybe you could try coating the pole that I mount my nectar feeders on (liberally) with petroleum jelly and it seems to keep them from climbing up.

One ruby throated hummer visited my garden this week; it was the first one. I do not put nectar out any more. It is just too hot here and there are not enough hummers to finish the nectar in a day. I have petunias but the hummers prefer the millions of blooms.

The hummingbird came by today and was fascinated by the funnel spider web on the edge of the porch! The hummingbird flew around and around it, peering in from all sides. Finally it darted in - I thought it had got the spider! Luckily the spider escaped I do love both of them though so I would have been content either way.