HUMMINGBIRD SITE OF CANADA - HOME OF JEWEL OF THE NORTH
  • Home
  • Products
  • Product Reviews
  • Migration / Report a Sighting
  • Humming Blog
  • Garden Blog
  • Flowers
  • Hummingbird Flicks
  • Contact
  • Retailer Info.
  • Archives

Humming Blog

Where Did My Hummingbirds Go?

4/19/2017

1 Comment

 
Picture
WHAT TO EXPECT THIS SPRING.

     People become very disappointed when the hummingbirds they had early in the season have disappeared. The sightings are reduced greatly and people question if they've lost their birds. 
    Early on hummingbirds go through the mating process. When that's complete, they go into nesting mode. Some people may have the males stick around, and some won't. The females change their focus from feeders to nest building, incubating and raising their young. If you're lucky enough to have a female nesting nearby, then you'll see her much more frequently. If she's nest a distance away, she may only make daily trips back to your feeders, or even less frequent. 
     This is where it's vitally important to keep up with the feeder changing and cleaning. The hummingbirds may not be spending all their time in your garden, but when they do show up from great distances away, they are in real need of fuel(nectar), and fully expect to see their food source where they left it.  Just know that these females are still showing up, although less frequent, but still checking to see if their food sources are available for when they bring their young from the nest. 
     Overview: Early on we get more sightings and more birds sticking around. Then the females will disappear for a lengthy 40-50 day period, where the males may or may not stick around. Finally the males, females and young will all show up before their southern migration. They will stock up on food and fatten up in the gardens that supplied them with food through the Spring and Summer. 
Knowing this process will help you understand that they will show up again, and in greater numbers. Just make sure you don't give up on your part in changing and cleaning feeders. 2015 N.E. of Edmonton, Alberta. Juvenile Ruby-throated hummingbird.

1 Comment
Nancy Humphreys link
4/19/2017 08:35:37 am

Great info, Michael. Thank you!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    March 2014
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    November 2012

    Categories

    All
    Annuals
    Canada
    Flowers
    Gardening
    How To Attract Hummingbirds
    How To Attract Hummingbirds In Canada
    Hummingbird Books
    Hummingbird Ebooks
    Hummingbird Guidebook
    Hummingbird Migration
    Hummingbirds
    Indoor Gardening
    Indoor Planting
    Jewel Of The North
    Michael Wiens
    Migration
    Perennials
    Springtime
    Start Your Seeds

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Products
  • Product Reviews
  • Migration / Report a Sighting
  • Humming Blog
  • Garden Blog
  • Flowers
  • Hummingbird Flicks
  • Contact
  • Retailer Info.
  • Archives