Tag Archives: ruby throated hummingbird nc

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Late season Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in central NC

-Sally Siko

A familiar backyard bird to many here in the Carolinas, Ruby’s are best found feeding on clusters of red or orange flowers such as coral honeysuckle, bee balm, red buckeye, trumpet creeper, and red morning glory. I spotted quite a few of them hovering over patches of Jewlweed flowers last month while birding at Lake Lynn in Raleigh.
One of smaller hummers decided to get territorial with a nonchalant Downy Woodpecker too lol!
Why the hurry and bird drama you might ask?
With migration underway the birds are in a mad dash to pack on the calories needed to power their long journey south.



Now that autumn as arrived, I’m often asked the question of “when should I take down my Hummingbird feeders?” Usually this is posed out of the concern that leaving your feeder out “too long” would tempt the birds into not migrating south for the winter.
The truth is that there’s no need for concern that the birds would delay their migration and get caught by winter. The reason why is because it’s not the lack of food that tells a hummingbird when to go south. It’s the bird’s internal biological calendar, or circannual rhythms. In fact, most Hummingbirds species start migrating while food is still plentiful. This strategy ensures that they will always have a good source available along every step of the way on their journey south.
So, my advice is to leave your feeders up as long as hummingbirds are visiting them. Once you’ve noticed that they are gone, leave it up an additional week, just in case a straggler comes through.

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding captured on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Field Notes, Out There with the Expert

When should I take down my Hummingbird feeder in North Carolina


Here’s a a photo that I took this afternoon in my backyard of a Ruby Throated Hummingbird zooming in for a quick snack.



Now that autumn as arrived, I’m often asked the question of “when should I take down my Hummingbird feeders?”
Usually this is posed out of the concern that leaving your feeder out “too long” would tempt the birds into not migrating south for the winter.

The truth is that there’s no need for worry that the birds would delay their migration and get caught by winter.
The reason why is because it’s not the lack of food that tells a hummingbird when to go south. It’s the bird’s internal biological calendar, or circannual rhythms.
In fact, most Hummingbirds species start migrating while food is still plentiful.
This strategy ensures that they will always have a good source available along every step of the way on their journey south.

So, my advice is to leave your feeders up as long as hummingbirds are visiting them. Once you’ve noticed that they are gone, leave it up an additional week, just in case a straggler comes through.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty mirrorless monster of a camera, the @canonusa
#R5

Field Notes, Out There with the Expert

How to tell the difference between juveniles and female Ruby throated Hummingbirds

I haven’t had much luck this year in photographing an adult male Ruby throated Hummingbird sporting those crimson namesake feathers. That being said, I’ve seen a large number juveniles this summer and have been lucky to be there in the right place and the right time to catch a few with my lens.



During the early days of autumn, with so many green and white tiny birds zipping around, it kinda looks like we’ve got a ton of female Ruby throated Hummingbirds flying around in central N.C.
Yet, if you look carefully at their face and throats, you’ll realize that although Juvenile male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds look similar to their mothers, there are some details that you’ll notice which can help you tell them apart.



Juvenile males like this sharp looking bird have the same gray feathers on their cheeks that their mothers have, but the gray color is subtle and less extensive in this area. It also shows more green coloring that will gradually darken to a deeper hue as they molt out into their mature plumage.


While females have very faint gray streaks on their white throat, juvenile male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have much bolder streaks and distinct spots that will gradually show the red iridescence characteristic of their fathers.
Young males may even show a couple of red spots on the feathers near the base of their throats. As the juvenile Ruby- throats mature, those spots will eventually become a full, boldly colorful gorget worthy of their famous name 🙂

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame DSLR, the @canonusa
#5Ds

Instagram Birding, Out There with the Expert

A Ruby throated Hummingbird encouter at Yates Mill park

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Behold the roundness of this Ruby throated Hummingbird in all it’s floofed out glory lol! I photographed this little one while birding along the Creekside Trail at Yates Mill Park last week. This tiny unit sped back and forth between feeding in the patch of blooming Jewelweed below and it’s perch in the Maple tree. Watching it preen on it’s perch, it appears that it was happy and well fed. What Ruby throated Hummingbirds lack in size, they make up for with in large appetite. Their diet is mostly liquid nectar with a high sugar content —and these birds get plenty of exercise with all that zipping around just to get from sip to sip. The hummingbird’s need for lots of calories is due to its high heart rate and small body size in relation to the high level of foraging activity needed to fuel that metabolic fire. Astoundingly, these tiny dynamos need to consume between 3.14 and 7.6 calories a day. That may not seem like much, but if we humans had the metabolism rate of a hummingbird, we’d would have to consume approximately 155,000 calories in a single day just to keep from wasting away. Pretty amazing huh? Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame SLR, the @canonusa #5Ds

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Birdwatching News, Field Notes, Out There with the Expert

When should I take down my hummingbird feeder in N.C.

This is Frank. He’s my feeder-bully Ruby Throated Hummingbird. Frank has held the top spot in my yard in feeder dominance since early August. Don’t let his youth or handsomeness fool you. This bird is a brawler and basically owns all three of the feeders on my property, defending what’s his against all foes.
Even though it’s the second week of October he’s still here in central North Carolina, feeding and chasing away rivals at his sugar bars daily.
Going to miss him a bit when he’s gone!

Now that autumn as arrived, I’m often asked the question of “when should I take down my Hummingbird feeders?” Usually this is posed out of the concern that leaving your feeder out “too long” would tempt the birds into not migrating south for the winter.

The truth is that there’s no need for concern that the birds would delay their migration and get caught by winter.
The reason why is because it’s not the lack of food that tells a hummingbird when to go south. It’s the bird’s internal biological calendar, or circannual rhythms.
In fact, most Hummingbirds species start migrating while food is still plentiful. This strategy ensures that they will always have a good source available along every step of the way on their journey south.

So, my advice is to leave your feeders up as long as hummingbirds are visiting them. Once you’ve noticed that they are gone, leave it up an additional week, just in case a straggler comes through.

Since Frank is still hanging around here in Fuquay Varina, I’m leaving my feeders up in the near future. 🙂

Photos by @sally_siko
Canon 5Ds

Field Notes, Out There with the Expert

Ever seen a Hummingbird stretch?

Have you ever watched a Ruby-throated Hummingbird stretch before?
Yes, they are elegant little gems but check out the second photograph below see what they look like in all of their awkward glory, lol!


From floof, to zoot, to sleek in just seconds…

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird boasts an average 55 wing beats per second. That’s pretty fast right?!
However, during mating season, males will fly back and forth in front of the female with a wing-beat rate of 200 per second during courtship displays.


These tiny birds even hold a Guinness record for its speed, which is probably why taking the time to stretch their incredible muscles is so important 😉
Photo by @sally_siko
Canon 5Ds

Field Notes, Out There with the Expert

Dealing with Bully Hummingbirds

The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are still out in force at the sugar feeder bar in my yard.
This young one has been at it all day chasing away others like an angry bee.
These little birds are fearless, haha!

The old way to deal with aggressive hummingbirds was to separate single feeders from each other.
The problem is that by placing individual feeders in separate areas, you may be encouraging more bullies to claim their local territories.


Today, the solution to real hummingbird harmony is to add more hummingbird feeders to your collection and place them in clusters around your property.


By creating more feeding zones made up of two or more feeders, (ideally some of which should be out of sight of the others), a single dominant hummingbird cannot defend a particular feeder.


Now all can feed without too much stress. Maybe they’ll sit still enough for a portrait more often, lol!

Photo by @sally_siko
Canon 5DS

Field Notes, Out There with the Expert, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Why do hummingbirds stretch?

Have you ever watched a Ruby-throated Hummingbird stretch before?
Yes, they are elegant little gems but check out all of the photographs see what they look like in all of their awkward glory, lol!
From floof, to zoot, to sleek in just seconds, haha!

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird boasts an average 55 wing beats per second. That’s pretty fast right?!
However, during mating season, males will fly back and forth in front of the female with a wing beat rate of up to 200 per second during courtship displays.
These tiny birds even hold a Guinness record for its speed, which is probably why taking the time to stretch their incredible muscles is so important 😉

Photo by @sally_siko .