In this video you will discover why the HumZinger feeder is a popular favorite with hummingbird enthusiast, how to properly make your own hummingbird necar solution and what is the number one reason the hummingbirds aren’t visiting your feeders.
Month: October 2009
Hummingbirds as well as most other types of birds have no sense of smell. Does this surprise you? As a result, hummingbirds are drawn to plants that have a high visibility. Hybrid plants often have far less nectar output then plants that were grown in the wild.
If you are looking for various trees and shrubs that will attract the hummingbirds to your yard then I would like to suggest the following: Azalea, Butterfly bush and Lantana. Why those you ask? They are some of my favorites that my mom always had planted in our yard which was always full of hummingbirds. Therefore, each time I see them it reminds me of my mom as well as offering me the hope that there may even be some hummingbirds in the area.
Whatever you choose to plant in order to attract the hummingbirds, it is important to remember that it should have a high visability and a high nectar production. To find out what is best for your area of the country, please check with your local nursery who can guide you and help you make wise selections.
If you love hummingbirds and have been trying unsuccessfully to capture a really good shot of a hummingbird then you are certainly not alone. Don’t give up, because doing so successfully requires persistence, patience, and a lot of practice. Ultimately though, your reward will be a wonderful shot of a hummingbird that you can truly admire and be proud of having taken. With this in mind, I want to examine the importance that backgrounds play in successful hummingbird photographs.
- The ability to consistently get a good background is a very common challenge of anyone trying to photograph hummingbirds. If you are new to hummingbird photography, it is important to remember that even the experts in doing this have at one time or another struggled with this. They have improved at this over time and with a great deal of practice and so can you.
- You can set up your feeder about 3 feet in front of your favorite plant and let this serve as your background.
- You background can be a 16-by- 20-inch board or mat that you hang behind the feeder.
If you enjoy hummingbirds and wish to capture that perfect hummingbird photograph, then keep on trying until you are successful. If you are having trouble finding the background you want in your photographs, then it is my hope that these few tips will serve to help you improve in this way.
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Arizona the Hummingbird Haven
If you are a hummingbird enthusiast who also likes to travel and you enjoy photography then you should visit the state of Arizona. According to photography expect Don Jedlovec , the Shy Islands located in southern Arizona is where 12 of the 13 species of hummingbirds of North America are located and where anyone who is serious about wanting to photograph hummingbirds should go to do so.
The Sky Islands sound like a place that I would have liked to have visited with my mom. Being an avid hummingbird enthusiast, I’m certain that she would have loved to have seen so many of the different hummingbird species which are found in North America in one location. I personally would have loved to see all the different hummingbird species but I also would have loved the opportunity to try and photograph them and capture their sheer beauty. That way I could have used my camera, which I call my "memory maker" to help me capture and remember the occasion for a lifetime.
So if you love hummingbirds, travel and photography, the Shy Islands sure sound like the perfect destination for anyone wanting to combine those three hobbies. If you should ever visit there, please enjoy it on behalf of my mother and me as well. Until then…happy hummingbird watching everyone!
Whenever I think of seeing hummingbirds I think of having them in the area in the spring and fall. Living as I do in southeast Texas, which is located about 90 miles east of Houston, I don’t remember ever having seen many hummingbirds in this area in the winter. A friend recently asked if there were any hummingbirds found nearby in the the winter. Not wanting to answer the question without having looked into the subject, I replied that I would get back to them with the answer to this question. This is what has lead me to write this post.
According to the Huston Audubon Society, there are several species of hummingbirds which one might site in Houston during the winter months. There are a very small number of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds which actually winter-over in the Houston area along with small numbers of Rufous Hummingbirds.
It is relatively common for Black-chinned Hummingbirds to be found in the Houston area during the winter months. It may surprise you to discover, as it did me, that 85% of the time whenever people see what they believe to be a Ruby-throated Hummingbird in the winter is actually a Black-chinned Hummingbird, according to Brent Ortega, a local expert on hummingbirds.
Apart from the hummingbird species mentioned previously in this post, you might also see the following hummingbird species in the Houston area during the winter: Anna’s, Allen’s, Broad-tailed and Buff-bellied Hummingbirds,
Although Houston is not right next door to Beaumont it isn’t extremely far away either, so there are hummingbirds that can be seen there during the winter months. There also might be a rare vagrant hummingbird that will actually visit us closer to home, but there is no way to know for certain if this will occur or not.
If you want to be helpful to the hummingbirds, why not leave your feeders up during the winter months? Any hummingbirds that visit it will be grateful for the source of food and they will rely on it more then at other times of the year. Due to the fact that the normal winter temperatures found in Houston are warmer then in other parts of the country, your feeders will only need to be brought inside on nights in which a freeze has been predicted.