LOL FTM, I love your thread title, as well as your remarks (and silent thoughts) to your coworker! Although 1:1 sounds sickeningly sweet, I found a GREAT article below, written by 2 doctors, no less. :)

I never would have known that 1:1 is acceptable, for even a short period of time!

Brenda

Here is a link that might be useful: Hummingbird Feeding

Wow! Research that actually examines relevent info. Good to know this information. I have seen hummers in the cutting garden but haven't fed them before. I think I'll start next spring. Sandy

LOL at the title! And great article.

I had a hummingbird get trapped in the garage again. The contractors that were here opened the big garage door and I didn't notice. We have learned to keep it closed all the time, we even take the remote with us when cutting grass. If it's open for more than 15 minutes we get a hummer in there, must be the way the garage is situated on the hill. And with 12 foot ceilings in the garage, they rarely have the instinct to fly down under the garage door. It was in there an hour before we got it out. I was really worried knowing that the males have already migrated and that this little lady would waste her reserves just trying to get out of the garage. But since I know it is okay to increase the sugar content I think I will change the feeder tonight so she gets a little extra boost.

I sure will miss those little hummers :^(

Thanks for the info! I've always done the 1:4 ratio. But i'll change it for spring and fall now!

that's right. burst my bubble :) i'm not admitting it to this guy though!

great article, kudos for finding it brenda. and, since i feel relaxed, i have a few thoughts. i feel the need to pick it apart a bit- not in a bad way (or is it vengeance? you'll never know)

ok, brenda, why didn't my html code turn off? i used the slash.
first, if they use that much energy in the lab, imagine how much they use going from food source to food source in that great jungle of our neigborhoods and woods. but, i do wonder how much their protein from insects would affect these results. the article didn't say if they had "snacks."

second, since they use that much energy hovering, it gives a good argument for getting the feeders with perches. anyone remember when they suggested to not get them with perches b/c hummers hover when feeding? i see the hummer spend a good half hour in my yard, perching on the feeder, then to the clothesline right there, back to the feeder...and so on.

does flower nectar have greater nutritional value than sugar water? i am sure this has been fully researched, and it isn't just junk food. i once read not to get the nectar with added vitamins b/c they would get it from other sources. if it is junkfood, do we want to distract them from their natural sources so much? if the sources aren't there, well, we must get those ruby throats to costa rica! oh, i love that they used my native hummer btw. well, reading on, the article answered my question! waht about the potassium salts, though? are those a necessary nutrient? i do still see them feeding on my flowers, so i would say they are probably getting those.

Some energy from each meal was saved and stored as fat.>

i hve noticed mine looks quite healthy from what i usually see. it even seems quite tall. maybe it just has all the feathers fluffed, including head feathers.

i would think that through the heat of summer, nectar would need to be changed even more frequently at a 1:1 ratio. on the other hand, should we make it weak so we can see them more? that is a bit self serving. on that note, without seeing them, one becomes less interested and less aware? that is how zoos see it.

i saved the article!
jeanner, they are probably lined up like barn owls in your rafters. they just love that garage of yours.

Great info! I just filled the feeder for the last time this year. I used the 1:1 ratio. I too will miss those beautiful little birds.

Lisa

FTM, you left the "i" out of your closer. You put in . You really need (without the space after the Otherwise, you did mahvelous! And you better NOT tell that "tssssker" at work that he's right! It doesn't sound like he needs too much encouragement in becoming a jerk. LOL

Seriously, when I found that article yesterday, I'd already typed my reply to you and was looking for backup for our argument. Something like, "He is SO wrong, FTM! He just doesn't know what he's talking about!" Ahem. Then I found the article. LOL

I'm thinking the potassium salts found in the flower nectar are probably incidental to the hummers diet, i.e., they go for the nectar (sugars), and incidentally consume the p.s. in the process. But I'm no scientist!

Brenda

(doing my best Howard Dean impression):
YYYYYEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Well that should teach ya'll to take EVERYTHING an XY chromosomer ever tells you as pure gospel. ;-)

*RUNNING LIKE HECK*

I saw that flash go by - looked like a sweater boy with his tail between his legs ....

Lisa, don't put that hummer feeder away yet! You may get a Rufuous hummingbird as late as November. There was an Anna hummingbird last January in Cinncinati that stuck around for a month and survived through some very cold weather and ice storms.

Check out the link below ....

Here is a link that might be useful: Late season hummers

Whoa, I think I'll just keep putting out my old 1:4 and enjoying my hummers. I'm not trying to tank them up all the way to Costa Rica. I'm guessing there are a few red feeders AND flowers along the way. :) BTW I saw my last one 9/14 :( Never did do 1:1

(And Semper, have ya run far enough yet?)

well i see the results! not in the hummers since theya are sleeping when i get to work, but i do see the feeders. the 1 to 3 doesn't appear to have been touched since i put the 1 to 1 up. in one day,it is at least half gone- a little over 16 oz. capacity.

as for home, my little hummer can't eat that fast. but, it guards the feeder from the second one nearly all day. there are several feeding at the work feeders.

the most hilarious thing i just saw: as the hummer was perched on the clothesline it kept flinging, and i do mean flinging and flipping, that long tongue out. too funny. then, i realized it was preening. hmmmmm, lots of critters?

another thought has been bugging me. i see them perched jerking their heads in all directions, pointing the beaks up, and some throat movements. could be all territorial displays, but i really wonder if they are singing outside of our hearing range.

FTM, I heard one singing at my mom's house, and I couldn't figure out what it was, since they never sing like that at my house! My mom kept trying to tell me it was a hummer, but I didn't believe her. :D It was so beautiful.

The ones at my house also do the head jerk thing, but I think mine are doing it because they're afraid one of the other hummers is going to encroach, or maybe they're afraid of the jays. Always on the lookout. And I love those tongues!! LOL

I haven't switched to the 1:1 mix yet, and I'm not sure if I will. Maybe being in CA, it won't be as important?

Brenda

i hve never heard a ruby throat sing. though i hear the scolding chitter often enough.

i can absolutely say that the one to one mixture has not cut the time they spend in the yard, specifically, perched on the clothesline guarding the feeder.

someone took the feeders down at work. i have a feeling it was a bit too early, but i hope not!

I never take mine down, FTM, but again, everything's different over here. :)

We've not seen the usual, summer-visiting hummers lately (I'm just not sure what they were), but they were a LOT smaller than the ones we have now! These are BIG! And very prominent red heads. Maybe Anna's? I thought we had those before, but now, I don't know.

He's sitting right outside the window at the moment, taking a breather between liquid meals and Salvia nectar. :D

Brenda

ah, but i would miss the snowy fields on starlit nights... :)

Jeanner,

Thanks for the link. I still have the feeder up and full. I will take it down late November but I haven't seen a hummer for weeks. Hope they have made it to warmer areas safely.

I always see a bunch of hummers around the desert willow tree..

Jeanner,
We, too, had a problem with hummingbirds flying into our garage. We discovered they were attracted to the red color of the emergency pull handle on the garage door. They would fly in and swarm around the handle and then not figure their way out. We had quite a time shooing them back out and even had to leave the garage door open overnight until they found their way out.