Hummingbird Feeder Question

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Deborahann S-C

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Oct 4, 2017, 6:36:49 PM10/4/17
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There has been a question on my local Next Door website about whether hummingbird feeders should be left out at this point or brought in. Opponents say take them down, which encourages hummingbirds to stay rather than migrating. Curious to know the opinion of folks on this forum.

Thanks,

Deborahann Smith-Cleveland
North Boulder  

David Suddjian

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Oct 4, 2017, 6:39:47 PM10/4/17
to dako...@gmail.com, Colorado Birds
Hummers migrate when it is time for them to migrate, and when they are ready. Hummer feeders left up into October and even November can provide a critical resource for late migrant hummers, and those that decide to linger for a time before moving on. 

David Suddjian
Littleton, CO



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Karl Stecher Jr.

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Oct 4, 2017, 6:43:03 PM10/4/17
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I haven't seen a hummer as I haven't been home moat of today, but my feeder fluid level is down significantly.  Just had a bee chase a painted lady butterfly away from the feeder.
 
Karl Stecher
Aurora
 
 
 
From: "David Suddjian" <dsud...@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 04, 2017 4:40 PM
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Subject: Re: [cobirds] Hummingbird Feeder Question
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Scott

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Oct 4, 2017, 6:43:37 PM10/4/17
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Hi All,

Keeping your hummingbird feeders or any bird feeder up does not encourage birds to remain.   If it did, the Rufous Hummingbirds would still be here in large numbers, as would the Calliope and Broadtails.

Your feeders are just a supplement to the birds diet. 

I tell people to keep their hummingbird feeders up till at least the middle of October, or 2 weeks after you see your last hummingbird.

Scott Rashid
Estes Park
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William H Kaempfer

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Oct 4, 2017, 7:16:50 PM10/4/17
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Let me add there is a significant likelihood that a hummingbird visiting your feeder at this time of year is not a Rufous, Calliope, Broad-tailed or Black-chinned.  This is the time that a Rivoli’s, Anna’s, Ruby-throated or Costa’s might just happen by.

 

From: cob...@googlegroups.com [mailto:cob...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Scott
Sent: Wednesday, October 4, 2017 4:47 PM
To: cob...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [cobirds] Hummingbird Feeder Question

 

Hi All,

Brad Biggerstaff

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Oct 4, 2017, 7:58:04 PM10/4/17
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In 2011, I accidentally left out a hummingbird feeder into late October.  While raking leaves on the 23rd, I noticed a hummingbird using the feeder regularly about every 20 minutes.  I thought it odd being so late, so I called my friend Nick Komar.  He urgently urged me to get photos (http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S13987774), and he hurried over.  The following day, he subsequently identified it as a female Anna's Hummingbird, record of which was accepted by the CBRC.  A couple of other people were able to see the bird that evening, but before I was able to spread the word (after being confident in the ID), it snowed a foot or two, and the bird wasn't seen here again.  I now keep my feeder out late every year and look for wandering visitors.

Brad Biggerstaff
Fort Collins

On Wed, Oct 4, 2017 at 5:16 PM, William H Kaempfer <William....@colorado.edu> wrote:

Let me add there is a significant likelihood that a hummingbird visiting your feeder at this time of year is not a Rufous, Calliope, Broad-tailed or Black-chinned.  This is the time that a Rivoli’s, Anna’s, Ruby-throated or Costa’s might just happen by.

 

From: cob...@googlegroups.com [mailto:cobirds@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Scott
Sent: Wednesday, October 4, 2017 4:47 PM
To: cob...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [cobirds] Hummingbird Feeder Question

 

Hi All,

Keeping your hummingbird feeders or any bird feeder up does not encourage birds to remain.   If it did, the Rufous Hummingbirds would still be here in large numbers, as would the Calliope and Broadtails.

Your feeders are just a supplement to the birds diet. 

I tell people to keep their hummingbird feeders up till at least the middle of October, or 2 weeks after you see your last hummingbird.

Scott Rashid
Estes Park

On 10/4/2017 4:36 PM, Deborahann S-C wrote:

There has been a question on my local Next Door website about whether hummingbird feeders should be left out at this point or brought in. Opponents say take them down, which encourages hummingbirds to stay rather than migrating. Curious to know the opinion of folks on this forum.

 

Thanks,

 

Deborahann Smith-Cleveland

North Boulder  

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Doug Ward

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Oct 6, 2017, 10:13:41 AM10/6/17
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Debrahann,

 

I had a similar quandary several years ago in North Idaho where we’d accidentally left a feeder out well into October.  Didn’t remember we’d left this particular feeder up (out of sight, out of mind) until we had an Anna’s show up in the yard.  I’d been of the understanding that leaving feeders up didn’t affect the birds migratory behavior, but felt the need to reach out to some hummingbird experts I know as we were expecting a very cold stretch, and they confirmed this position.  Now that Anna’s have moved into our area up there, we actually keep at least one feeder up all Winter, with a heater, as we’ve had them in every month of the year now.  Interestingly, unless it gets pretty cold, they actually don’t come in often as they seem to forage primarily on insects, even when it’s near zero out.

 

So, I wouldn’t worry about leaving your feeder up, and as Scott pointed out, you may end up with an oddball.

 

Good Birding,

Doug

Denver…& Coeur d’Alene, ID

 

PS – There are some fascinating articles out there about how hummingbird’s metabolism changes with the seasons and locations, particularly the Calypte hummers, such that their bodies need different nutrients to cope with the different climates during the year.

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Deborahann S-C

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Oct 6, 2017, 6:52:07 PM10/6/17
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Thank you so much for all your responses. I posted the information on our local NextDoor site, and people are leaving their feeders up as suggested.

Deborahann Smith-Cleveland
North Boulder.

On Fri, Oct 6, 2017 at 8:13 AM, Doug Ward <doug...@frontier.com> wrote:

Debrahann,

 

I had a similar quandary several years ago in North Idaho where we’d accidentally left a feeder out well into October.  Didn’t remember we’d left this particular feeder up (out of sight, out of mind) until we had an Anna’s show up in the yard.  I’d been of the understanding that leaving feeders up didn’t affect the birds migratory behavior, but felt the need to reach out to some hummingbird experts I know as we were expecting a very cold stretch, and they confirmed this position.  Now that Anna’s have moved into our area up there, we actually keep at least one feeder up all Winter, with a heater, as we’ve had them in every month of the year now.  Interestingly, unless it gets pretty cold, they actually don’t come in often as they seem to forage primarily on insects, even when it’s near zero out.

 

So, I wouldn’t worry about leaving your feeder up, and as Scott pointed out, you may end up with an oddball.

 

Good Birding,

Doug

Denver…& Coeur d’Alene, ID

 

PS – There are some fascinating articles out there about how hummingbird’s metabolism changes with the seasons and locations, particularly the Calypte hummers, such that their bodies need different nutrients to cope with the different climates during the year.

 

From: cob...@googlegroups.com [mailto:cobirds@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Deborahann S-C
Sent: Wednesday, October 04, 2017 3:36 PM
To: Colorado Birds
Subject: [cobirds] Hummingbird Feeder Question

 

There has been a question on my local Next Door website about whether hummingbird feeders should be left out at this point or brought in. Opponents say take them down, which encourages hummingbirds to stay rather than migrating. Curious to know the opinion of folks on this forum.

 

Thanks,

 

Deborahann Smith-Cleveland

North Boulder  

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