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I signed up to do the Audubon surveys and have been doing them for the past week randomly throughout the day when I have 10-15 min. to sit near the window and watch the feeder. I thought we only had three hummingbirds but the cup of nectar I put out on Monday was gone Tuesday morning. Last night I counted 9 hummingbirds swarming around the feeder at dusk. I filled the bigger feeder with 2 cups. It's been steadily busy all morning!
Good for you Neditate! I still have no sightings I've made my feeder as inviting as I can by hanging Dianthus and Pansies on either side. Changing the nectar so it stays fresh I hope one will find it soon if not it will be another sad summer of not watching hummers.
I have several hummingbird feeders. I asked for advise from someone I knew that always had many birds at her home. This is what advise she gave me.
1) The birds are territorial and will try to run off other birds. This is why she puts several feeder out - spaced
apart.
2) The solution she uses 50/50 (1 cup of sugar to 1 cup of water) may seem excessive but its what brings
so many to feed. (She is right - they flocked to the feeders)
3) Wash the containers but make sure you get ALL residue out as it can harm the birds.
4) You dont have to boil the water and dont use food coloring.
5) She changes out the feeder about every 2-3 weeks. Her feeders are in partial shade. (I have to change
more often because I have so many birds)
I have been doing this faithfully for the past year. Its incredible how many birds come to feed in our garden.
The hummingbirds are so bold, they feed even with us standing right next to the feeder or even walking around them. I have hummingbirds literally around the clock in day light hours. I dont believe I go more than 10 minutes without seeing one. Their last visits are right before it gets dark.
We had a big snow (for us) a few days this past winter and everything would freeze - so I kept bringing out new food every few hours for them and I believed they appreciated it. We get hummingbirds all year round.
We went about 80 miles north of us yesterday for a cookout and I saw so many hummers. I just sat in the yard watching for them because they had feeders in different parts of the yard. It was a pleasure to sit & watch them like I use to at the farm.
Sigh now I need to get them here I'd be happy since I have my patio all done with veggies & flowers they'd be the topping on the cake.
Good for you Neditate! I still have no sightings I've made my feeder as inviting as I can by hanging Dianthus and Pansies on either side. Changing the nectar so it stays fresh I hope one will find it soon if not it will be another sad summer of not watching hummers.
Try planting tubular flowers such as penstemon, certain salvias, bee balm, and the like to attract hummingbirds. A flat-faced flower like dianthus and pansies are pretty but the hummingbirds need the tubular shape. I no longer use a hummingbird feeder since they spend most of the day sipping the flowers I have in containers on my terrace. Good luck attracting your hummingbirds!
Try planting tubular flowers such as penstemon, certain salvias, bee balm, and the like to attract hummingbirds. A flat-faced flower like dianthus and pansies are pretty but the hummingbirds need the tubular shape. I no longer use a hummingbird feeder since they spend most of the day sipping the flowers I have in containers on my terrace. Good luck attracting your hummingbirds!
Yes thank you I know the pansies won't attract them but the tag said dianthus would . We changed some of the flowers there are tubular they weren't close to the feeder. I'll keep trying nobody else is seeing much activity here either.
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Hummingbirds here in the NW corner
I just sat in the yard watching for them because they had feeders in different parts of the yard. It was a pleasure to sit & watch them like I use to at the farm. 
