I know this seems crazy but yesterday morning when I went into the cottage garden I could hear buzzing and this squeaking sound. Yep, sure enough I looked down and saw a little male rubythroat hummingbird down there flapping its wings. It was stuck!! I think how crazy because I remember Ann's story, then I remember what she did and I scooped the little guy up!. He was shaking like crazy (probably scared) and I literally had to pull the grass away from his body, so he must have been stuck. He also had a bare patch on his back, maybe from the grass blades rubbing? Poor little guy. I placed him on some straw near the hummingbird feeder where he sat for a minute or so and then he flew away.

How crazy is that? Thanks again Ann, I probably acted much faster because of your story.

Then I did some analyzing. First of all, the grass was tall. My fault for letting it go! I cut it this morning. Plus, I think the hummingbirds are getting ready to head south. This means they are eating more bugs for protein. White flies and mosquitoes live in grass.

Took this picture yesterday. Tonight the temps are supposed to drop down into the 50's.

Oh my gosh look at them all

Holy COW! That's awesome Christine! Both the droves of hummers and the story! Wow, for that to happen to you too! But I have to say, I've lived long enough to know it happens. I sort of wonder if the bare spot on it's back might have been from a predatory bird trying to snatch it but missed & instead came away with some of the back feathers??? We'll never really know. Boy, I am so glad to hear of another happy ending!

OMG, now I'm going to be paranoid every time the grass gets high. I never said it at the time but all I've been thinking is, what if the hubs had just started up the mower & mowed? We wouldn't have heard it & he never would have seen it while mowing.

And this all leads me to wonder how many times poor hummies get stuck in the grass & no one is around (off to work all day) to hear them & rescue them?

I hate thinking that way but I can't help it.

You sure have a massive quantity of hummers there!

That photo is absolutely awesome!

awesome.. yes sharing a story like that was really good.. good for all of us to learn from

Very cool picture!

Karen

Wonderful photo! And so glad you were able to help the little guy!!

Thanks everyone.

Ann, I know what you mean; I tossed and turned all night after finding the hummingbird in the grass like that. Hubby says that with so many hummingbirds, there's bound to be casualties. I just don't accept that. I probably feel a little more responsibility since I'm inviting them by putting up the feeders.

Christine, I also wonder in both our cases, if the hummers in the grass got knocked there by fighting with each other. You know how they zoom so fast! It's just possible mine flew into the heavy bird feeder hanging on the other hook & maybe even got stunned for a moment & fell to the ground. Who knows?

I wanted to ask you since I've never had so many at my place at one time. When they come in swarms like that, do they fight like crazy like we normally see them doing? Or do they somehow share better being as it's migration time?
I counted 15 in your photo. Were there plenty more flying around that were outside of the picture frame?

There are defintely lots of hummingbirds around here, I lose count but have guessed forty at a time. Hubby says there are at least a hundred of them.

I find that the more hummingbirds swarming the feeders the less fighting. There is still some chasing going on but for the most part it looks like they are taking turns at the feeders. When one comes in from behind, the other one leaves and so on, kinda like they are in line.

I've also noticed that since I hung all the feeders in one location, 'The hummingbird Post' as we call it, they seem to get along better. I was wondering if they were two groups. For some reason they quit using the one set of feeders and that's when I hung them altogether. I thought maybe some of them had moved on but then they returned. I think maybe they were feeding from the Angel trumpets and Crossvines in the wild, while they were in bloom.

That's a very interesting thought about putting all the feeders together. I'm going to have to try that.

Now, I'm assuming Christine, that this # of hummers is not what you usually have is it? Or is it? I was thinking this was just a frenzy of migration or pre-migration but now I'm wondering if I misconstrued & you have this many hummers as a normal course of events?

Christine, how wonderful to have that many hummers around your feeders. When I lived in a small town in the Kootenays on Slocan lake our feeders used to look like that too, it was a fun 3 years living there.

The hummingbirds start showing up in April and they leave around the first week in October... which is coming fast!

I've been feeding them for about six years, it started out just a few and has multiplied into what it is now... 100-plus! There are times when it seems like there are more, maybe some passing through but there are too many to know. Now I'm pretty much committed.

I think part of the reason they don't fight so much is because there is a constant supply of food. They are spoiled just like all of the other animals around here.

I cross-posted with you mcash. Yes, it is fun seeing them. It's always a fun treat for company too.

Keep up the good work of keeping those cuties well fed. I forgot to say that I was very surprised to see a hummer check out my feeder yesterday that I was about to take down for the season, but after seeing that late one I cleaned and put fresh syrup in it just in case another one stops by on their way south.

wildflowers said:The hummingbirds start showing up in April and they leave around the first week in October... which is coming fast!

I've been feeding them for about six years, it started out just a few and has multiplied into what it is now... 100-plus! There are times when it seems like there are more, maybe some passing through but there are too many to know. Now I'm pretty much committed.

I think part of the reason they don't fight so much is because there is a constant supply of food. They are spoiled just like all of the other animals around here.

Wow. Well, I guess I'll see what happens here then. Maybe one day I'll have multitudes.

Christine. That photo is mind-blowing. Double wow.

with Glen! Awesone! I hope to have a lot more feeders next year. I have the perfect spot to hang "Lots" of feeders. Don't know why it didn't dawn on me already. I hope I can find some feeders marked down since the season is ending here. I wold like to buy several. They are always so expensive (for the nice ones) at the stores here.

Totally amazing! I'd love to be able to attract more, but I only saw one or two this year. They emphatically do not like either my feeder or the nectar I offer. Any tips you can offer on feeders and nectar??

Ann, I see many hummingbirds in your future!

Cat, that's a great idea to look for them on sale now. I have learned to only get the glass feeders, they clean easier and last longer than the plastic (I don't like the plastic at all!) The glass round ball ones are pretty but they are also hard to clean!

Catmint, have you tried making the nectar yourself? The hummingbirds seem to like it.

Here's the recipe: http://garden.org/ideas/view/w...