A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2006 Hummingbird seen today

As I was sitting in the flower bed, pulling out the winter weeds, I heard a humming noise. I look up to the right & saw a Rufous. With the temps being in the 70's I figured this little fellar was a little confused. It did buzz around the area I normally have the feeder, then off into the wide blue yonder. Normally, the Ruby Throats are scouting by early March around here.

Magnolia, GET YOUR FEEDER BACK UP ASAP!!!!! The only way this little fellow will survive is to have a nectar source and he has chosen your location to get it. There are only 2 or 3 Rufous in each state each Winter and YOU are EXTREMELY

WOW I am putting my feeders back up too. Just in case.

WAIT...I thought we are suppose to take down the feeders to encourage migration??? If I put the feeders up will that put the hummers in danger of freezing?? Because they will stay here for the food???

Naw, that story about taking your Hummingbird feeders down is just an old-wives' tale or an urban legend. No birds will freeze. They will just starve if they don't have food. The few that stay the Winter do so because they decide to and human actions have NOTHING to do with their choice. Human inaction in providing food for the ones that do stay WILL cause them to starve since NO NATURAL source of nectar is available in Winter.

I am going to put one feeder out and watch it to see if there is any hummers around.

(Thorn sneaks up to Oui's feeder in the middle of the night and attachs a fake Rufous Hummingbird made out of styrofoam and dyed goose down, just to trick her)