increased hummingbird numbers?

[marlene johnston]

Hi all,

We (Lardeau) seemed to have an abundance of young hummers (primarily Rufous) this summer and I have heard similar comments from people in Kaslo and also Fernie. I’m wondering is this ‘bounty’ widespread throughout the Kootenays? and/or throughout the province? if so, was it the ideal spring for an earlier start to a more successful nesting season that contributed to increased numbers compared to other years? or is something else going on?

I’d like to hear what others are experiencing. What’s your hummingbird situation?

marlene at lardeau

[terry lowrey]

Yup. We seem to have lots of juvenile hummers buzzing about our feeders right now. Male ruffies are mostly gone...?

Ursula

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[david...@shaw.ca]

Hi Marlene,

We have quite a good crop of baby hummers this year but I don't think it is more than usual but then again, I don't keep close track of it. Bottom-line - there are quite a number of baby rufous fliting around the yard, madly chasing each other!

David

[Carolee Colter]

Hi Marlene,

The hummingbird numbers in our yard in Nelson have really crashed in the past 10 years. We do get all 3 species now and then, but nothing like the 10 individual Rufous at a time that we used to see during spring migration. This year, as in previous years, a female Rufous apparently nested nearby and occasionally visited our feeder. Then for several weeks a young male and young female Rufous that we assume are siblings visited the feeder and hawked insects. Every now and then a Black-chinned male and female come through but no evidence of breeding in the area. I am glad to read that hummers are continuing to visit elsewhere in significant numbers. Maybe it's because Nelson is getting so built up....

Carolee

On Sat, Aug 2, 2025 at 7:56 PM marlene johnston <mac...@lardeauvalley.com> wrote:

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Carolee Colter
P.O. Box 1055
Nelson, BC VIL 6H3
Canada
(250) 505-5166 phone

[marlene johnston]

Thank you everyone for sharing your young hummingbird situations! It is heartening to hear that this nesting season seemed to be, for many of us, relatively more successful than other years.

Although the bird song has pretty much stopped, there are so many young birds in addition to the hummers flitting about in the yard; REVI and WAVI vireos, yellow warblers, empid flycatchers, robins, gray catbirds, song sparrows and the ever so attractive American Redstarts. 

marlene at lardeau