Hummingbird Feeder: First Hummingbird of 2014

A few minutes ago I saw my first hummingbird of the season at the feeder. That's a quick response: from yesterday afternoon to this morning. Maybe it helped that it's raining: or maybe I was just looking at the right moment this year.

Related posts:

• "Hummingbird Feeder: First Day, 2014"
  (June 14, 2014)
• "Hummingbird Feeder Filled"
  (June 29, 2013)
• "First Hummingbirds of 2013"
  (May 27, 2013)
• "Calling All Hummingbirds"
  (May 26, 2013)
• "Hummingbird Feeder: Filled and In Place"
  (May 17, 2012)

Hummingbird Feeder: First Day, 2014

I generally get the hummingbird feeder out during the last half of May. I'm late this year: but then, we had an unusually rough winter, so maybe the little hummers are running late, too.

Related posts:

• "Hummingbird Feeder Filled"
  (June 29, 2013)
• "First Hummingbirds of 2013"
  (May 27, 2013)
• "Calling All Hummingbirds"
  (May 26, 2013)
• "Changing Seasons"
  (September 22, 2012)
• "Hummingbird Feeder: Filled and In Place"
  (May 17, 2012)

Calling All Hummingbirds

I put out this year's first pint for the hummingbirds about an hour ago. It's anyone's guess when I'll notice the first one: not that I'll be spending every minute watching the feeder.

Related posts:

• "Changing Seasons"
  (September 22, 2012)
• "Another Month, Another Round for the Hummingbirds"
  (September 3, 2012)
• "Hummingbird: Yep, That's Definitely a Hummingbird"
  (May 20, 2012)
• "1st Hummingbird"
  (June 15, 2011)
• "First Batch for the Hummingbirds"
  (June 12, 2011)

Changing Seasons

The forecast says it'll be a degree or two below freezing tonight, so I took the hummingbird feeder in. I'm quite confident that the hummers have long since headed south: leaving central Minnesota and the rest of the north.

Next, I should start thinking about what to set out during winter.

Hummingbird Feeder: Filled and In Place

About an hour ago I mixed my first 1-to-4 mix of sugar and water, and put the hummingbird feeder out.

A tip of the hat to my wife, for reminding me about the feeder.

Now the question is: when will I see the first hummingbird?

Related posts:

• "1st Hummingbird"
  (June 15, 2011)
• "First Batch for the Hummingbirds"
  (June 12, 2011)
• "Getting Ready for Winter"
  (October 13, 2010)
• "Hummingbirds"
  (July 13, 2010)
• "Hummingbird Feeder's Out"
  (May 21, 2010)

I took some photos yesterday afternoon, from 'webcam' window. The folks across the street from us lost a branch that's maybe three or four inches in diameter.


Mid-afternoon on South 9th. October 26, 2010.


A closer look at that downed branch. October 26, 2010.


About 4:20 in the afternoon: brisk weather for a walk. October 26, 2010.

Getting Ready for Winter

I took the hummingbird feeder in yesterday afternoon. It's long past the time when they're supposed to be headed for points south.

Last winter there wasn't much interest in the food block I set out: so that may or may not happen again this winter.

Meanwhile, there are vehicles, people, yards and sky to see.

Not Again!

---

Update (April 15, 2010)

I've got indirect evidence that the webcam was offline for about four or five hours, starting around 8:00 a.m. today (Central Time). Give or take an hour or so.

Which doesn't help a bit, if you stopped in this morning and saw - nothing on the feed.

Again, sorry about that.

---

So I oversleep (I've got a cold - I hope), check in at the computer: and get a 'Windows is Shutting Down' message. The iron idiot is apparently stuck in that mode.

No problem, I think: A simple reboot fixed it.

But this webcam has been offline for - it could be almost nine hours. Sorry About that!!

But it's back now: showing a beautiful, clear, blue-skied spring day in my part of Minnesota.

First Serious Snowfall of the Season

I've been tracking this thing, and most of the snow went well to the south and east of us. Can't say I'm disappointed. We've finally got snow covering most of the yards, without the inconvenience of drifts.

The plows have been by already, and most folks have their sidewalks shoveled. Which reminds me: I need to see what ours are like.

New Season, New Feeding Gadget

Or, winterizing the bird feeder.

Since there's been no activity at the feeder since I last filled it - apart from a few insects and a curious chickadee - I'm assuming that the last of the hummingbirds have headed south. They'll be welcome back, in May.

This afternoon I walked to the hardware store and got a sort of tray/cage arrangement and a cake of birdseed and sugar to put in it. It's a sort of trail mix for finches, apparently.

The cage's hook was too small for my feeder pole, but a minute or two with a needle-nose pliers took care of that.

Now, it's a matter of waiting for birds to find the thing.

This is the first year I've tried this. It should be interesting.

Hummingbirds, Chicadees, and Seasons

I'd been wondering why I haven't seen any hummingbirds at the feeder this week. Particularly since just a couple weeks ago, they'd been taking an unusual amount of nectar.

This may be the answer: "Ruby-throats arrive in May and leave in September." ("Hummingbird Migration," The Hummingbird Website)

No wonder I haven't seen any - looks like they fueled up and headed south.

On the other hand, I saw a chickadee perch on the feeder's pole this morning. It's a rare winter when the chickadees leave Minnesota. But it's been known to happen.

Our furnace has been fixed, starting on Monday, with the last part put in place yesterday evening.

It's nice, having the thermometer showing a number that's higher than my age (67 wonderful, balmy, degrees at the keyboard). Balmy, considering that it's around six below on the other side of the window.

More about this household's furnace, at "Minnesota Winter, and the Furnace is Fixed!" Through One Dad's Eye (January 5, 2009).

More Hummingbirds!

Maybe the hummingbird feeder is getting the avian equivalent of word-of-mouth advertising.

Or I'm getting hummingbirds on a southward migration.

Whatever the reason, traffic at the hummingbird feeder has been up during the last week. Good news.

Swapped Feeders: Now Comes the Waiting

I finally got the new hummingbird feeder washed, rinsed, filled, and hung out.

Why did it take over a week? Good question. I've been a little frazzled lately: more about that at "Through One Dad's Eye."

So far, no hummingbirds, but it's early days: two weeks into May, and the first couple were cold, off and on.

Today, the thermometer registered nearly 80. If this keeps up, we may see hummers yet.