Have you ever had the chance to watch A LOT of hummingbirds at a feeder at once? In Costa Rica and other Central and South American Countries, this is common. But here in the United States I have not usually seen MANY hummingbirds at the feeder at the same time. Here at my house in the woods, I DO have lots of ruby-throated hummingbirds and they become super active at this time of year, but usually at my feeders I have only 2 or 3 sitting together at one time.
As I mentioned, I was away recently, on a road trip and spent some time in Colorado–a state that has 4 species of hummingbird, not just one like here on the east coast. At each campsite I would hang up a hummingbird feeder and wait to see who would find it. It was amazing how quickly they usually discovered it and in some places, how quickly they drank the nectar and required me to fill the feeder. Sometimes there were birds that had no clue where to get nectar from the feeder; they might have never seen a feeder before! They would sit in the right place like their peers, but couldn’t quite figure out where to stick their little beaks and be rewarded with nectar. Usually they eventually figured it out, but I felt helpless watching them struggle, wishing I could help.
In some places, especially one that wasn’t in an established campground, the sheer number of hummingbirds that came to the feeder astonished me. And to my great pleasure, they readily came to a ring feeder I wore that held a tiny well of sweet nectar. What a joy it was to see them so close!
I have put together a short video of the little birds. Imagine as you watch that you are there with me. I bet you can feel the same sense of wonder that I had as I watched all of the hummingbirds swirling around me.
What do you think? Have you had a similar experience? How many hummingbirds do you see in your neck of the woods? What species is your favorite?
I really enjoyed seeing them again
Yeah, it was fun, huh? Wouldn’t it be great if we had that many at our house! I would love it. Thanks for reading, and of course for taking all the movies in the first place.
That footage was AWESOME!!! Loved the slo-mo. Thanks for sharing👍🏻
Arden, you are most welcome. Glad you enjoyed it. As for the hummingbird feeder rings— I have seen them at some local stores including Wild Birds Unlimited in Gerber Village, and also at the little garden gift shop at the Biltmore Estate. I think they might also sell them at the gift shop at the Arboretum. They are fun to have for sure! You’ll have to report back on whether you found them and what successes you had. Good luck and happy hummingbird watching!
BTW… where does one get those nifty feeder rings?