The Hummingbirds of the Hilltop |
| A few of the six feeders hanging on my front porch. Each one holds one quart of fluid. I long ago ceased putting color into the sugar-water. It did no good, went straight through the birds, and ended up on the cement on the porch. |
Over the years we've expanded to having six of these one-quart feeders hanging on the front porch. When they birds come shortly after dawn, and again just before dusk, the air around the feeders is absolutely filled with the tiny birds.
Each feeder has six small holes through which the birds stick their beaks, and then run their tongues into the liquid. At maximum feeding time it is usual to see twelve birds on the bottom of each feeder, two at each hole. They take turns sipping and gathering their nourishment. Surrounding every feeder is a cloud of additional birds trying to find a spot to sit down and eat.
With six feeders, each with twelve birds eating, there are at least 72 birds eating there. But when you add in another five or six birds hovering nearby, the number of birds feeding on our porch quickly approaches 100. Of course, getting a firm count is impossible because they are constantly on the move, so the best I can do is an estimation.
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| Not a huge bunch of birds, but quite a few. There appear to be roughly six or seven hummers at each feeder and there are a total of six feeders. |
We buy granulated sugar in 25 pound bags, for we store hummer juice in six one-gallon plastic jugs, If Sharon helps me I can fill all six hanging feeders in 10 minutes, and on the days I have to resupply the plastic jugs, it takes at least another 20 minutes.
But, all the time, effort, and even the money, are worth it when we can watch the amazing birds out the kitchen and family room windows.
2 comments:
I've always loved hummingbirds. We have a feeder in the backyard and get several regulars. When I take the empty one down and put up the filled one, the hummers will hover nearby waiting for me to hang it on the hook. A few times the little birds have gotten within inches of me, chirping as if to say, "Hurry up! We're hungry."
Great post!
Thanks Joan. As we fill two feeders at a time, there are always four left hanging. I've also had the waiting birds come close enough to feel the air from their wings, especially if the other feeders are empty.
The mass of birds feeding at peak times is something to observe. They often have two at each of the 6 holes and another three or four circling around waiting for an opening. Even though that usually happens in the late summer, the feeding session just before dark last night was nearly that busy. I'd estimate there were at least ninety birds rapidly feeding before the temperature dipped.
And the sound is quite something to hear. With a heavy feeding underway, it almost sounds like a small airplane.
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