Archive 2012 · Hummingbird being attacked

sritri
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Hummingbird being attacked

This tiny adorable Hummingbird was being attacked by a pair of Yellow Jackets

http://www.shreenirao.com/Nature/IMG_0626.jpg

Jul 13, 2012 at 11:58 PM

douter
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Hummingbird being attacked

Interesting behaviour, looks like there is more than enough sugar water for all of them.
Douglas

Jul 14, 2012 at 05:41 AM

reko
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Hummingbird being attacked

Lots of honeybees at our feeders this year. They will often drive the hummingbirds off the feeders. Now that the feeders have a dozen or more feeding or hovering about the feeder the bees don't seem to have much of an effect.

Jul 14, 2012 at 06:44 AM

Genes Home
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Hummingbird being attacked

For those of you with this problem, I offer a suggestion.

Take a large dished saucer or small plate and place it, filled with sugar water and bit of honey, on or near the ground about 10-15 feet from the hummer feeders, preferably in the shade.

Bees and yellowjackets will generally discover this in a couple of hours and then swarm it, prefering to feed from the open saucer. Hummers will normally leave it alone, as it does not match their normal feeding style. I use this technique during the spring and fall ruby throat migrations here in north texas and it seems to work quite well as a means of diverting the bees and wasps from the feeders.

Gene

Jul 14, 2012 at 03:56 PM