Time for new flight of hummingbirds.
Young joining their parents at the feeders, and new waves are heading here
It was hot and dry enough this summer in San Antonio to require Stage 1 watering restrictions, but the conditions were not severe enough to reduce our enjoyment of the new generation of black-chinned hummingbirds.
After they left the nest, the young joined the adult birds to take advantage of sugar-water feeders and blooms. If you offered birdbaths or other water sources, you probably also saw the birds use the water.
Several San Antonio gardeners reported that the young hummingbirds and their now-relaxed parents landed on feeders that were being rinsed, moved and refilled with sugar water. It was not clear if the birds were being bossy and trying to hurry their feeder maintainer or just being friendly and encouraging their gardeners.
As interesting as the period after the hummingbird young of the year leave the nest is, the fall migration period is even more exciting. In addition to blackchinned hummingbirds, waves of ruby-throated and rufous hummingbirds also move through the San Antonio area during fall migration.
The general movement is from north to south, but groups also move from west to east and east to west. The migrants are competitive, and some of the most entertaining action are the dogfights for a roost on the hummingbird feeder.
The rufous hummingbirds are the smallest species in the mix, but they also seem to be the most aggressive. Another unusual behavior from the rufous hummingbirds is the inclination of some birds every year to linger here in San Antonio for the winter. Our neighborhood in the Medical Center area is usually blessed with a winter resident rufous hummingbird.
To meet the fall migrants’ needs for nectar, provide at least one sugar-water feeder offering a mix of 4 parts water and 1 part sugar by volume. The sugarwater mix does not need to be dyed with food coloring. It is easiest to premix the solution in gallon jugs and store it in the refrigerator for the weekly refill.
Hang the feeders from the eaves. There are lots of choices for feeders. Some qualify as art objects, but the best feeders are easy to clean and refill, and have good bee guards.
My favorite is the Best 1 Feeder manufactured in Poteet. Perky Pet and Duncraft are also attractive and easy to use. They are available at area nurseries, Wild Birds Unlimited and H-E-B stores.
Feeders will probably attract bees, which are important pollinators, so they need to be tolerated. One way to meet the nectar needs of bees is to pour the remnants of your weekly sugar water in a shallow plate for them to consume.
You also might find goldenfronted woodpeckers hanging around the feeder. They can be destructive if they pull out the bee guards, so that is one of the reasons I like the Best1 Feeder, as the woodpeckers cannot remove the bee guard.
Of course, in addition to sugarwater feeders, it is fun to include special nectar plants on or near the patio for the migrating hummingbirds.
A few duranta and cape honeysuckles in the landscape near the patio will bring them in. Use firebush or porterweed in full sun in a 5-gallon container. In the shade offer penta and/or firespike.
It will not take long to identify the dominant hummingbirds of the current wave, but half the fun is watching the changes as the season progresses.