October Hummingbird 2023

[jmcquown]

Yes, the weather is getting cooler here and yes, I still have a female
ruby throated hummingbird coming to my feeder. If she decides to stay
the winter this will be three years in a row. :)

https://i.postimg.cc/C1FbYY32/female-rubythroat-10-17-23.jpg

She's looking fat and sassy:

https://i.postimg.cc/NFK9f0pd/female-rubythroat01-10-17-23.jpg

Anything going on bird-wise in your yards?

Jill <--- in Southern South Carolina

[super70s]

I kept my hummer feeders up for about a week after Oct. 3 which is when
they're supposed to migrate to warmer climes but I never saw the
feeders' level drop so I just took them down.

Earlier in October I saw some Northern Flickers pecking on the ground
but they must have been stopping over for a few days.

Having a hummer that sticks around for three years is pretty cool.

[jmcquown]

It's nifty! I don't know why, other than maybe she's lazy and doesn't
want to fly from South Carolina to Mexico or Central America when she
can be assured of sugar water and a supply of little flying bugs here :)

It does get a little bit cold here, though, in the Winter. She's taken
a chance that it won't get too cold for her for the last 2 years. Then
again, hummers have that whole torpor thing going on, where their
metabolism practically shuts down at sunset. That may have something to
do with her tolerating colder temperatures here until the sun comes up
in the morning. They're interesting birds, that's for sure!