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style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin All, My experience is similar to what Cam Finley describes. I used to put out feeders from 2010 to 2015, but over the past few years since buying this place, I've also been working to increase native plants and also non-native perennials in my gardens. I also have some rhodies that are getting large. There are now a lot of plants flowering throughout the whole spring and summer. About two summers ago, I noticed that the hummers were barely using the feeders, especially as the plants really started to bloom. Last year, after a couple or so weeks, I just took the feeders down as I realized that they birds preferred the flowers over the feeders. I don't mind as this was actually what I've been working toward since coming here in 2010. I should also mention that my next door neighbours had feeders on their porch for about 20 years, but at the same time as I noticed that hummers were ignoring my feeders, the same happened to theirs. However, from my upstairs room, looking down on my garden, I soon discovered that the hummers that customarily nested in a particular tree in their yard were flying back and forth into my yard to feed on the abundant flowers. By the way, this spring, I have been encountering hummers back in my forest quite regularly. I don't recall them being back there so much before this year. However, there are a lot of native plants that flower along the brook alongside my property, and I have a big stand of Fireweed that they love to visit. Maybe they've decided to make more use of the forest now. So, Eleanor, I'm wondering if maybe you have a neighbour somewhere who has been cultivating a sort of wild garden for bees and butterflies, and that birds are being attracted by that? I can see how the shift to native plant gardens may have quite an effect on bird and insect activity as I'm seeing it here in my own gardens where I photography insects every day from spring through autumn. Bev Wigney Round Hill >> Begin forwarded message: >> >>> From: Joy and Cam <joyandcamfinlay@shaw.ca> >>> Subject: Re: more on feeding hummingbirds >>> Date: July 2, 2016 at 8:30:32 PM ADT >>> To: Jim Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca> >>> >>> Jim >>> Male arrive first and immediately search out territory and quickly >>> look for newly arriving females to breed them as they have just arrived. >>> Once females are bred, males leave to find more receptive females or else >>> head on the way south or search out more food sources. Males have only >>> one duty or function which is to copulate and get on with surviving. >>> They have nothing to do with nest building and raising young, only to >>> breed and then leave. >>> The lady who commented that the birds only take one sip and then >>> leave, probably means they have found a better source of food. We >>> often see that out here too when wild food sources are much more >>> attractive than sugar water in feeders. In fact at times when arbutus is >>> in full flower or other native plants are in bloom the feeders remain >>> totally unused for days at a time. >>> Hope that clears up the concern. OH yes, don’t use soap to clean or if >>> soap is used then thoroughly rinse out the soap. >>> Best wishes >>> Cam >>>
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