Great examples Lin. Yes, I have had garden "guru's" tell me , "Oh no! It HAS to be certain blooms that have a very specific structure to them - mostly the trumpet shaped blooms although all of them don't have the right structure." Hogwash!!!

Yep, that's what I've had "experts" tell me too ... "Hummingbirds only go to trumpet shaped blooms!" I agree with you ... that's pure hogwash as my photos prove; and feeding at those plants wasn't just a one time thing ... they came back day after day after day to all the different blooms. In my observation, it's just what happens to be blooming and what's to their taste preference at the time. My Pagoda Flowers are blooming right now and I haven't seen a hummer go to them so far this year!

Oh! Hummers will use ALL kinds of nectar plants. Ironically, most of my "hummer" plants bloom in Fall - through - Early Spring. Fortunately, I do have many other plants that are blooming now for the butterflies and they will also attract hummers. She may not be a feeder user either. I'll find out though, as I will be putting a feeder back outside.

Lin - I have many of the plants that you are showing the hummers using in your wonderful photos above. So she will certainly find some desirable nectar in my yard. I am still so surprised that there is one here again after 4 years of not seeing a hummer in the summer. Perhaps these rare summer hummers are just off track from their normal breeding grounds or are young females finding their own territory and just happen to find my yard. I do have a lot of blooming nectar plants in my yard year round.

For all we know nectar isn't just nectar isn't just nectar or all nectar is not created equal on the same day. Perhaps the nectar in the pagoda flowers has not reached it's peak yet ~~ that is it's peak in the hummer's opinion. There is so much we *don't* know and maybe never will. Perhaps hummers get certain vitamins or minerals or enzymes or such from certain blooms or at certain times of the blooms.

I saw something today that was really cool. Watching a hummie out the kitchen window & it's the first time I actually saw a hummie stick it's "tongue" out when it wasn't sipping nectar. It was just flying around close to the window & then stopped & kind of hovered like they do & out went it's tongue quick as a wink but I saw it! It was so cool!

What I know about nectar plants and hummers is that these birds are so smart that they KNOW when a flower will produce the optimum amount of nectar for a particular plant species/cultivar and they will return to that bloom when the nectar has been replenished. The birds remember exactly where the plant is and will return again and again. And they continue to check other sources of nectar as well. They have excellent memories of where the food is and will cover a pretty decent sized area to obtain such food. They are amazing little birds! When raising young, they catch a lot of tiny insects which they feed to their young. They like compost piles which attract gnats. And they will also eat small spiders and other small insects. Finding a nest is the hardest part as they are very tiny nests and are hidden well.

Becky, I watched a show about hummingbirds that talked about that very thing. There was a particular flower that produced nectar every fifteen minutes and the birds knew it. So that's where the camera crew set up the camera and they knew every fifteen minutes the hummingbird would come to feed like clockwork.

I talk a lot on the butterfly thread about using your own observations and taking what you read with a grain of salt. There is still so much about nature we don't know and I think it's arrogant to think we have it all figured out (because obviously we don't). I've seen hummingbirds use the usual suspects, but I was never more surprised as when they hit up my bromeliads! When I thought about it, it made sense. Bromeliads and many species of hummingbird occupy the same sites in Central and South America. My mom and I watched a hummingbird go around to all my bromeliads in bloom last winter and hit up every single one. It was awesome. Some other things I've seen them on are the typical Firecracker Fern and Firebush. But I've also seen them on Abutilon (Flowering Maple), Golden Dewdrop (Duranta erecta) and Passion Flower. Oh, and they'll fight over Porterweed. I had one challenge me when I was getting in or out of my car one day. It was weird and hilarious!

I have noticed this little hummingbird being quite aggressive. I mostly see the Ruby Red Throats and don't rememeber the name of this one but it sure is a feisty thing. It will fly like a swing back and forth trying to guard a feeder and as you can see in the photo, sit nearby with it's beak up like a sword. I've also been on walks and come upon this hummingbird and it will do the same thing, suddenly fly in front of me like a swing back and forth, fast and loud. Maybe I came upon her nest? and I'm wondering if maybe this breed of hummingbird tends to be more aggressive?

Yesterday this hawk was up in the oak tree right next to our driveway. It sat there a long time and I tried to get a good shot but oh well, too high up for my zoom! At first we thought it was a Cooper's Hawk but when it flew off it didn't have any bars across the tail. Just a dark grey with a white head and chest.

Christine, that beautiful hummer may be the Black-chinned Hummingbird which is seen in your part of the country:
http://txtbba.tamu.edu/species...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

Love that hawk ... the first photo he/she is looking right at you!

Lin I'm pretty sure that's it - a Black-chinned Hummingbird! We are east of its normal range but that's probably why there aren't more of them.

Yes, the hawk was looking right at me. When it flew off, it circled really low around the cottage garden and then flew off. Maybe (s)he had eyes on something in the garden and decided it wasn't a good idea.

Some of the male hummers do that kind of swinging back and forth thing here, usually making a zinging noise...I think it's related to mating behavior, but I could be wrong. If it's a Black-chinned...it's very hard to really see the gorget color on those males, but if you're lucky enough to ever see it, it's purplish. Normally, the neck just looks black.

Got this quick shot of a hummer about an hour ago ...

I think we have an ID on the gray and white bird I thought was a Cooper's hawk ~

Actually it was my dh who figured it out. He was very curious since this bird keeps following him around when he's mowing and catching grasshoppers & katydids.

Mississippi Kite http://www.allaboutbirds.org/g...

Cool looking bird!

Aha! A Mississippi Kite! It sure is a beautiful bird! I thought that pretty face looked different than any hawk I'd ever seen but then again I've only seen two or three different type of hawks in my lifetime. The juvenile though, does look more like a hawk than the adult.
http://identify.whatbird.com/o...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

Another Hummer stopped by this morning ...

Christine I thought that was a kite. You can tell by the tail how it's sort of swallow tailed but not as pronounced. Only thing is last night when I read this thread I was soooooooo tired & for the life of me I could NOT think of the name "kite"! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
I meant to get back to the subject this morning but........ you know how it goes.
for the kite!!!!

You're all so lucky. In all the years I've been here I've never seen a hummingbird. I thought it was because I live on the barrier island, but people who live just a little south of me have them, and even in Cocoa Beach, north of me. Maybe I'm just not out in the garden at the right time (but I really don't think it's that). I have seed feeders out front and lots of flowering plants that would certainly attract hummingbirds. I tried the sugar/water feeder a few years ago; never saw one. Washed and changed the syrup every two days and then gave up after a couple of weeks.

So it was raining on Friday and I had to pay attention to the hummers instead of the butterflies. The battling was fierce when I refreshed the feeder.

http://youtu.be/m-Xtj_KiK0c

Great video Meredith!