I have made an interesting discovery over the last few weeks. I absolutely love hummingbirds and try to entice them to hang around the house and garden from the time they arrive until they depart for warmer climes as the days grow shorter. I always hung up a feeder or two, and made sure the flowers were attractive to them.

This year, after reading an article about hummers in the July issue of Birds and Blooms, I hung five feeders filled with homemade sugar water from hooks on my back deck, fairly close together. And then I sat back and waited.

I was astounded...have you ever seen a SWARM of hummingbirds? I couldn't believe it! There must have been twenty to thirty buzzing around the feeders, and darting around and into the trees below. These are probably the new hatch from this summer's nestings, but there are Ruby Throats galore. I guess the close proximity of the feeders make them linger in the general area and they don't have to use up energy flying around the house the way they have done in the past, looking for one or the other feeder. They're all right there for them...a virtual smorgasbord!

Every night before I go to bed, I prepare the next day's supply of sugar water and put in the fridge. By 10 am the next day, the five feeders are ready to be refilled...it's a free show every morning and evening starring these little feathered creatures.

That is AWSOME!!!

I also love hummingbirds, but really dont get to see em all that often. Used to have em all the time when I lived in Maine. Have got to say...seeing a swarm of em must have been cool as hell:).

Now I'm jelouse!!

Just wondering...if you get a chance and have a situation like that again, would you be willing to snap a few pictures and post em? Would love to see it:)

Crimson.

You can create your own swarm, CE...just hang up several feeders like I did, close together, and they'll come, especially right now. They're tanking up for their migratory trip in a month or so. The Birds and Blooms magazine is a must have for people like you and me who love birds.

I've taken dozens of photos of those hummers, but I don't know how to post photos to this website....

Cat—
Just email me the photos and I'll take care of the posting.
APL

Drat...none of them turned out really well! so I'm not going to send any photos until I take some good ones. I'll try for better ones this evening and in the morning. The little guys are still out there, gulping down my sugar water.

I'll look at the ones my husband took with the movie camera and see if I can download some as stills.

Thanks APL...I'll see what I can do!

I like the sound of their wings. We've got enough feeders and flowers around our house for them to always come by. I can never get my camera out fast enough.

I actually got to hold one of the little guys yesterday!

I was coming up from my garden lugging a heavy basket with the last of the summer veggies. I started up the small knoll to the place in my yard where the steps lead up to the back deck. This is where all the feeders are hanging, and the hummers were all buzzing around, eating fast and furiously.

I heard a strange noise coming from under a Japanese maple tree. I looked closely and there was a hummingbird on the ground, obviously unable to take flight. I reached down and very, very gently slid my hand under him, hoping that he wasn't hurt. He was a Ruby Throat, and his tiny body was covered with those green irridescent feathers. He was breathing fast and for a nanosecond, he stopped beating his wings and his twig-like feet searched for a hold against my palm. I didn't dare breathe! His little head darted back and forth, looking to see what strange creature this was who had rescued him. Fortunately he wasn't hurt, and he quickly flew away up into another tree.

I guess he had been knocked to the ground by a more aggressive hummer and had gotten his feet tangled in the grass. Anyway, it was a wonderful experience and I felt awfully lucky to have arrived at that spot just when I did. My three cats were all outside and roaming about, plus my dog runs around the yard like a horse, never really paying any attention to what she's stepping on.

It made my day....

Crimson..how about a poem about the hummingbirds for the Magic Carpet?!!

Lol, Cat, I wish it worked like that!!

I'll see if I can get it into my head, but no promises:)