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CAMELLIAS HELP WINTERING HUMMINGBIRDS SURVIVE DURING GEORGIA WINTERS
It is easy to believe that winter hummingbirds are totally dependent on our feeders to survive. Although feeders hanging in backyards have helped hummingbirds winter throughout the Southeast, wintering hummers such as the rufous have other sources of food.
One of these foods is the sap that wells up in active sapsucker holes. Although yellow-bellied sapsuckers excavate these shall reservoirs to provide food for themselves, a variety of critters such as other birds, squirrels, butterflies and even hummingbirds dine on the sugary sap found their excavations. Since the shrub also produces pollen, they attract the some of the few pollinators that also dine on pollen during the winter.
Another underappreciated source of food is the nectar is produced by winter blooming camellias. One of the best is (Camellia sasanqua). This flowering shrub blooms from fall throughout the winter.
These glossy-leaved thick shrubs also provide the tiny birds with much-needed roost sites.
If you know of any other varieties of camellias that attract winter hummingbirds to your yard, please let me know.
GEORGIA’S WINTER HUMMINGBIRD SEASON
For most hummingbird enthusiasts, the opportunity to host hummingbirds in their backyards extends from March through October. When the last hummingbird leaves on its fall migration one cannot hope but wish we could enjoy watching hummingbirds throughout the year. It is a little-known fact that some Georgians actually do host hummingbirds throughout the year. In order to do this, they are successful in attracting the tiny migrants during Georgia’s Second “Winter” Hummingbird Season. This season extends from November through February.
During this season, you can see more species of hummingbirds than at any other time of the year. The species you are most likely to see is the rufous. It is estimated that anywhere from 50-100 rufous hummingbirds annually winter in Georgia. Most of the others have been seen in Georgia only a handful of times.
If you want to have the rare opportunity of hosting one of these special birds this winter, maintain a feeder throughout the winter. There is no need to keep a feeder full of nectar; however, it is important that you change it regularly.
RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD by Terry W Johnson
Admittedly, the chances of seeing a rufous are slim; the odds are much greater than winning the Georgia Lottery. In addition, if you are successful in having a rufous winter in your yard, there is a chance it will return the next winter.
If a hummingbird shows up in your yard this winter, please let me know.
SOON THE HUMMINGBIRDS WILL BE GONE
Here at my Middle Georgia home, during the past few days the number of hummingbirds visiting our four feeders has dramatically decreased. As late as last week, my wife was making 20 cups of nectar a day in an effort to meet the birds’ demand for food. Today for the first time in weeks, only two feeders needed to be refilled. I suspect that the rubythroats are rapidly disappearing in your backyards too.
With that in mind, I would like to know when you first noticed a noticeable drop in the hummers visiting your feeders. In addition, it would be great if you report the date, the last hummer is seen in your yard. I have been studying hummingbirds for more than 30 years and still have much to learn about these fascinating birds. Your information would be helpful in delineating the fall migration of the ruby-throated hummingbird in Georgia.
If you do respond to this request, please include the name of the county where you live.
BACKYARD SECRET – HOW MANY MILES DO RUBYTHROATS FLY EACH DAY FLYING ACROSS GEORGIA ON THEIR FALL MIGRATION?
For weeks, ruby-throated hummingbirds have been making their way south towards their wintering grounds. Have you ever wondered how far a rubythroat flies once it leaves your feeders and continues on to the next stop on its journey?
Banding studies reveal that when these tiny migrants cross Georgia they fly about 23 miles per day.
DO NOT TAKE HUMMINGBIRD FEEDERS DOWN
When I began working with hummingbirds more than 40 years ago, it was a common practice for Georgians to take down their hummingbird feeders in September; this was done because many folks subscribed to the popular belief that, if you left your feeders up past August, you would entice the birds not to migrate. We now know that hummingbirds migrate due to declining day length and not the availability of food. As the days become shorter, ruby-throated hummingbirds begin storing fat the fuel needed to complete their long migration. When it is time for them to leave, abundance of nectar-bearing flowers and hummingbird feeders stocked with sugar water cannot keep them from making this epic trip.
If you keep your feeders up, you will help provide late migrants with a much-needed source of food. In addition, it gives you the chance of having your feeders visited by a western hummingbird. The hummer you are most likely to see in Georgia from November through February is the rufous.
BACKYARD SECRET – RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS DO NOT MATE FOR LIFE
When we see male and female ruby-throated hummingbirds perched next to each other on our feeders it is easy to assume that ruby-throated hummingbirds mate for life like many other birds that reside in our backyards. The truth of the matter is, however, they do not.
Females arrive in our yards each spring after the males. In addition, males migrate south before the females. Actually, they stay together for only a matter of days.
If that is not enough, male rubythroats do not even help build the nest or feed their young.
IT IS HARD TO KEEP HUMMER FEEDERS DISEASE-FREE DURING A HEAT WAVE
It is important that hummingbird nectar be as fresh as possible. This task is much harder to accomplish task during our heat wave. With daily temperatures in the 90s and feel like temperatures reaching triple digits, bacteria and mold are currently growing more rapidly than normal.
If hummingbird food becomes cloudy and/or black spots appear inside a feeder, you have a serious problem. These are signs that the nectar in your feeder is unfit for hummingbirds.
The reason for this is the nectar in your feeder is contaminated with viruses, mold and/or bacteria. These organisms can cause the birds multiple problems including attacking the birds’ beaks, and tongues and causing gastrointestinal problems.
The solution to this problem is to wash and refills feeders more frequently than normal.
HAVE ANY CASES OF AVIAN FLU BEEN FOUND IN HUMMINGBIRDS?
As far as I know, there have been no cases of avian flu hummingbirds have been reported. It seems that the wild birds that have been affected the most by the virus are raptors (e.g. hawks and eagles), and waterfowl (e.g. ducks and geese).
However, this is not to say that hummingbirds are immune from the dreaded disease. One of the reasons why it has not been found in wild hummingbirds could be that their life style lessens they will come in close contact birds that have a greater chance of being infected by avian flu
If I ever hear of hummingbirds contracting avian flu, I will let you know.
Adult Male Ruby-Throated
BEEBALM IS A HUMMINGBIRD, BEE AND BUTTERFLY MAGNET
Beebalm (Monardo didyma) is also known as Oswego tea or monarda), is a plant that anyone trying to attract hummingbirds, bees, butterflies and other pollinators need to plant in their backyard. This perennial native is easy grow and produces flowers from June into September. It grows to a height of one to five feet. Beebalm grows best in moist to dry soil types. It will grow in partial shade to full sun.
