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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / September 2007Bossy Pants Humming Bird - OT
It's that time of year again! The little humming birds are out, and thick......this (Houston) is one of their last stops before taking their long journey across the Gulf of Mexico. I was sitting out back the other morning having my early morning cup-a-joe and a humming bird whizzed right past my head. I quickly dashed into the house and dug out a feeder. Filled it up with extra sweet nectar and hung it out back near the patio. In no time at all, there were about 6 birds buzzing around it. Everyone is hungry, but it seems that only one is actually allowed to eat. He's a gorgeous green bodied bird with a white collar and a red throat, but he's such a little bossy pants. He runs everyone else off. We finally got another feeder and hung it out front. Much to our amazement, bossy pants is now guarding both feeders by flying back and forth over our roof top. I'm not sure what else I can do. Any advice would be more than welcome. -bonbon > It's that time of year again! The little humming birds are out, and > thick......this (Houston) is one of their last stops before taking [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > -bonbon Maybe a third feeder, so he can't possibly be in three places at once and the other birds will get a chance to feed when he's guarding one of the other two? Bobble >bonbon <not@taking.replies> wrote in >> I'm not sure what else I can do. Any advice would be more than >> welcome. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > >Bobble Thanks for replying Bobble. Looks like at least one more feeder is the only answer. -bonbon > It's that time of year again! The little humming birds are out, and > thick......this (Houston) is one of their last stops before taking [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > I'm not sure what else I can do. Any advice would be more than > welcome. Male Ruby Throated Hummingbirds are territorial, but I wouldn't expect much territorial activity during migration. I suspect he is a local resident, though maybe a temporary one. If you want him to leave one feeder alone, you will have to put it somewhere outside his territory. I have no idea other than trial and error for finding out what its limits are. I have only one active feeder - just outside a kitchen window that has an inside shelf for the cats, and while I see territorial activity, it's never as strong as you describe.  SignatureT.E.D. (tdavis@umr.edu) >> I'm not sure what else I can do. Any advice would be more than >> welcome. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >inside shelf for the cats, and while I see territorial activity, it's >never as strong as you describe. Bossy Pants' territory seems to be pretty big. I guess I'll go talk to a few of our neighbors and encourage them to all hang feeders also. Thanks for your reply and advice. -bonbon Bonbon, we're just down the road near Austin and the hummers are gathering here, too. We've had lots all year (we're near some undeveloped land) and I just added another feeder this month. We have a bossy male but since I have 4 feeders now, he can't guard more than two at a time. Hopefully what follows will help you get more feeders up, economically. After experience with lots of other kinds of feeders, I've switched to two kinds now, because so many are so difficult to clean. The two found in these links are VERY easy to clean--other than a sponge, all you need is a tiny brush, like an inter dental brush, to quickly scrub out the feeding holes. The first feeder is from Wild Birds Unlimited and is more expensive but really great if you can afford it. They keep brushes at the cash register that they sell for a buck. Neither of the feeders have a bunch of nooks or crannies to harbor mold that inevitably grows in them after a couple of days in the heat. This one is super easy to clean, plastic will withstand dishwasher and use of bleach. Less expensive plastics will release toxins if you use bleach. Built in water cup for "ant moat/trap". http://www.wbu.com/prod/guide/hummingbirds.htm This one is small, cheaper, still very easy to clean. Instead of putting in hanging baskets we hang from the eaves. I found it for $5.95 at Garden Ridge. http://www.perky-pet.com/feeders/index.asp Not as posh as the WBU one but very cheap! I've done a LOT of research to find a way to have the most feeders with the least amount of work (we have four up now, two of each kind) and I wrote an article for our neighborhood newsletter to share my experience with others. The large feeders are kind of a moot point in the heat because they have to be cleaned and changed daily because of mold growth. With four feeders, the hummers never empty the small ones in a couple of days so it's a waste of nectar if you use really big ones. If you want more info, including easy recipes for making nectar and time tables for cleaning / refilling, etc., try: We have "Cat TV" now with five channels, four are hummingbird feeders--one front, two back and two side windows, and the fifth channel is a finch feeder and bath outside another side window. Great fun for the whole family! http://www.davidandmollie.com/cptc/hummers/ Signatureie ride fast, take chances. >>> I'm not sure what else I can do. Any advice would be more than >>> welcome. [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > -bonbon During most of the summer, my 48 ounce Perky Pet would be emptied in about 24 hours. The 12 ounce PP, just around the corner, would go for about a week. The climate here is cool enough so the nectar keeps for a week or more. I don't seem to have any bullies. Activity has slowed down a lot so I guess migration has depleted my birds. ---MIKE--- >>In the White Mountains of New Hampshire >> (44° 15' N - Elevation 1580') So jealous! Yes, a friend of ours says his large Perky gets covered with hummers feeding at the same time--all sitting on the perches around it together! He, too, lives in cooler climes... We have Ruby Throats and Black Chins, here...what do you have in NH? http://www.davidandmollie.com/photos/hummers/ Signatureie ride fast, take chances. During most of the summer, my 48 ounce Perky Pet would be emptied in about 24 hours. The 12 ounce PP, just around the corner, would go for about a week. The climate here is cool enough so the nectar keeps for a week or more. I don't seem to have any bullies. Activity has slowed down a lot so I guess migration has depleted my birds. ---MIKE--- >>In the White Mountains of New Hampshire >> (44° 15' N - Elevation 1580') oldhickery asked: >>We have Ruby Throats and Black >> Chins, here...what do you have in NH? Only Ruby Throats here. I enjoyed your slide show. Was that a HummZinger feeder? I notice that they weren't using the perch. With mine I added a closer perch on two sides which they seem to prefer. The HZ doesn't get as much use as the big Perky Pet. ---MIKE--- >>In the White Mountains of New Hampshire >> (44° 15' N - Elevation 1580') Thanks for the kind words... have a new male in the area--If I can get him at the right angle it will be a nice photo up! The feeder is from Wild Birds Unlimited. Somebody makes them for them, can't remember who... Trying to scrub the mold out of the nooks and crannies in the big PP drove me batty. I'll never go back to those...I've given them away. Sometimes they perch, sometimes they don't. I've switched to those and the really small, really cheap Perky Pet feeders that are intended for hanging baskets (about $6) as both are quick and easy to clean, and, like I said, around here they don't empty them fast enough to go with a big feeder. The ones from WBU are also dishwasher safe and since we have fire ants down here, the built in ant trap rocks! WBU also has some larger ones, same style, I just stick with the small ones. Cheers Signatureie ride fast, take chances. oldhickery asked: >>We have Ruby Throats and Black >> Chins, here...what do you have in NH? Only Ruby Throats here. I enjoyed your slide show. Was that a HummZinger feeder? I notice that they weren't using the perch. With mine I added a closer perch on two sides which they seem to prefer. The HZ doesn't get as much use as the big Perky Pet. ---MIKE--- >>In the White Mountains of New Hampshire >> (44° 15' N - Elevation 1580') >Thanks for the kind words... have a new male in the area--If I can get him >at the right angle it will be a nice photo up! The feeder is from Wild [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >small ones. >Cheers Got this link from one of my sisters this morning. If you like humming birds (who doesn't?) you'll love this one. This is truly amazing. Be sure to click on NEXT PAGE at the bottom of each page; there are 5 pages in all. A lady found a hummingbird nest and got pictures all the way from the egg to leaving the nest. It took 24 days from birth to flight. Because you'll probably never in your lifetime see this again, enjoy; and please share. The photography is wonderful!! http://community-2.webtv.net/Velpics/HUM/ -bonbon People who say you can't get too many hummbirds are wrong. I don't have trees around my rented house and can only hang the feeders from my porch. Yesterday, my son counted fifty nine birds trying to feed. I buy sugar by the 50 poung bag as is. I love these birds, the cats don't, I am just going to get a couple of more feeders to finish the summer. Wish someone would design a truely big feeder that is posted in the ground. >>Thanks for the kind words... have a new male in the area--If I can get him >>at the right angle it will be a nice photo up! The feeder is from Wild [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > > -bonbon I used to love having them around the cats went nuts when I did. What I did was took an old coat rack with the extended arms and legs. I got it from a thrift story for about $10.00. I buried the legs so it would not topple over. The arms stuck out a good foot more than enough room for a feeder to hang I had 6 feeders hanging from it. Since 2004 hurricanes I never put it back up when it was blow over and some arms were broken. I miss having those little sugar burners around. > People who say you can't get too many hummbirds are wrong. I don't have > trees around my rented house and can only hang the feeders from my porch. [quoted text clipped - 40 lines] >> >> -bonbon I would be lost without them. There is a small factory across from me and I admit to showing off a bit. I take a small feeder, fill it, stand very still and let the birds land on my hand to eat. As I don't see well, I am always going out the door and running into one of them! I don't know who gets startled the most! >I used to love having them around the cats went nuts when I did. What I >did was took an old coat rack with the extended arms and legs. I got it [quoted text clipped - 48 lines] >>> >>> -bonbon I did the hand feeding thing before. the awe my cats showed that daddy had fast blurry thing eating from his hand and they could not get at them thru the glass in the Florida room. Every one would always come up to my hand and check it out to see if I brought one in. I haven't seen them since the hurricanes but we lost a lot of wildlife during them. >I would be lost without them. There is a small factory across from me and >I admit to showing off a bit. I take a small feeder, fill it, stand very [quoted text clipped - 54 lines] >>>> >>>> -bonbon We lost a lot this year with the heat and humidity. Scores of them were found at a time dehydrated. I did my part! >I did the hand feeding thing before. the awe my cats showed that daddy had >fast blurry thing eating from his hand and they could not get at them thru [quoted text clipped - 61 lines] >>>>> >>>>> -bonbon >I would be lost without them. There is a small factory across from me and >I admit to showing off a bit. I take a small feeder, fill it, stand very >still and let the birds land on my hand to eat. As I don't see well, I am >always going out the door and running into one of them! I don't know who >gets startled the most! I'm guessing you. If you have been that active in feeding them, they can get very demanding. We have had more than a few over the years that will attack. Especially if the feeders need service. Anyone that equated tiny with timid hasn't been around the little monsters. I call them monsters, but I'm the one they buys and "cooks" the sugar water and rigs the lines for the hangers to we don't have to climb to change them. I use eye hooks and cleats to fix it so I can raise and lower the feeders to people level. Charlie is the one with the patience to clean and sterilize the feeders so they don't get moldy too soon. We use PP feeders. I've got to remember to pick up some more yellow plastic flowers. Jo Yepper, they can reck those little flowers pretty fst sometime. I have the kind where you just unscrew the bottle from the top with the handing piece and fill. Yes, they get demanding, hitting the screen dor if I don't get there fast enough. Will get Lee to tell you about the hummingbird and the cat. >>I would be lost without them. There is a small factory across from me and >>I admit to showing off a bit. I take a small feeder, fill it, stand very [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Jo > It's that time of year again! The little humming birds are out, and > thick......this (Houston) is one of their last stops before taking [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > -bonbon They will usually go for anything red. They used to love and guard our garage door pull handle. Maybe hang a few red rubber balls around as decoys for him. He will eventually get tired. Love ours and we get to enjoy them year round. But we will get more as it cools off up north. Jo > It's that time of year again! The little humming birds are out, and > thick......this (Houston) is one of their last stops before taking [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > -bonbon Duck!! It's amazing how much aggression Nature seems to pack into the tiniest bodies. ;) Would it be feasible to hang up some more feeders? He can only eat from one at once.
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