Who attracts the birds? What works for you?

I'm in love with the hummingbirds that are so small and yet can speed at 60 mph, hover or even fly backwards. I wait for them and do my best with my 70-200 2.8 IS and a x1.4 extender, but these are tough to catch.

I wonder how successful you are in enticing different birds to visit and what have you done to optimize this?

Share your technic with pictures and for what bird it works and where!

Asher

Asher Kelman said:

I'm in love with the hummingbirds that are so small and yet can speed at 60 mph, hover or even fly backwards. I wait for them and do my best with my 70-200 2.8 IS and a x1.4 extender, but these are tough to catch.

I wonder how successful you are in enticing different birds to visit and what have you done to optimize this?

Share your technic with pictures and for what bird it works and where!

Asher

Click to expand...

Asher-

I haven't tried to photograph hummingbirds but my mother has this bush in her yard ("hummingbird bush", believe it or not) that attracts them like flies. It has a reddish flower and it is maybe 1.5 meters in height. Plant one outside a window that opens and you should have lots of opportunities. Here's some information on the plant: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/60921/ I'm not a gardener so can't comment on how it would do outside of Texas, but I know it grows fine there.

Wendy

Thanks, Wendy,

Apparently, hummingbirds seem to like the color red! I've seen suggestions to tie a red scarf or Chistmas decorations around a pole to bring them in! This plant, however, does seem very hardy and the blooms are attractive.

Asher

Asher-

Mary Lou and I have attracted an Oriole family. It is bright yellow/orange with black. Haven't photographed it yet. But soon. It is a totally wonderfully colored and extraordinary bird. We have two seed feeders for the zillions of plan ol' brown backyard birds, four hummingbird feeders and one Oriole feeder (sugar water and jelly). Also I have plant a ton of plants which attract hummingbirds and butterflies. (In the middle of the back lawn I carved/dug out an 'island' filled with butterfly attracting plants.) I have Milkweed have now gets its annual share of Monarch catepillars.


Finches


Monarch on Milkweed


Butterfly Island


Monarch

Gary,

You have made a beautiful habitat!

How long did it take to get the birds and monarchs to like your place?

I guess you should be my advisor! Maybe we can go on a shopping expedition! What happens when you are away? Isn't there a danger that the sugar in the hummingbird feed ferments to alcohol or toxic stuff and you make them drunk and crash! I heard they are very sensitive to non fresh nectar!

Asher

Asher Kelman said:

Gary,

You have made a beautiful habitat!

How long did it take to get the birds and monarchs to like your place?

I guess you should be my advisor! Maybe we can go on a shopping expedition! What happens when you are away? Isn't there a danger that the sugar in the hummingbird feed ferments to alcohol or toxic stuff and you make them drunk and crash! I heard they are very sensitive to non fresh nectar!

Asher

Click to expand...

Monarchs took many years ... the Milkweed was tucked away in a corner and last year became of sufficient mass to attract some eggs.

The birds arrived in force within a week. If we're on vacation it take a few days for them to return. Beware that seed feeders also attract rodents. The Oriole's took weeks or replenishing the jelly until we spottede them. They are very skittish.

Hummers also like various sage. The problem with sage and butterfly bushes is containment. They grow like weeds. This year, probably due to the maturity of our hummingbird attracting plants, the hummers do not frequent the feeders nearly as much as in the past. Last year the hummingbird feeders would be dry after two days ... this year I rinse and refresh the feeders at least once a week.

As to advising you ... no problem.

Asher, when I saw the title, I popped in a Dilatrend and was itching to give you the benefit of my experience, but then realised I knew nothing about humming birds! or for that matter any of those that become airborne.

Asher Kelman said:

I'm in love with the hummingbirds that are so small and yet can speed at 60 mph, hover or even fly backwards. I wait for them and do my best with my 70-200 2.8 IS and a x1.4 extender, but these are tough to catch.

I wonder how successful you are in enticing different birds to visit and what have you done to optimize this?

Share your technic with pictures and for what bird it works and where!

Asher

Click to expand...

fahim mohammed said:

Asher, when I saw the title, I popped in a Dilatrend and was itching to give you the benefit of my experience, but then realised I knew nothing about humming birds! or for that matter any of those that become airborne.

Click to expand...

I had to look up your beta-blocker. One of the side effects " patient experienced the following problems/side effects: premature labour, premature separation of placenta. " so watch out!

Asher