where are the best Hummingbird feeders? (1 Viewer)

[Birdingcraft]

Hello,

Where are the best Hummingbird feeders you have experienced.
The best I have seen anywhere were in the Tandayapa valley at Tony and Barbara's place. Literally dozens of Hummingbirds fill the yard to visit the many feeders. I think there were 16 species or so, most common being Booted Racquetail and Violet-tailed Sylph along with uncommon things like Empress Brilliant and Purple-throated Woodstar

 

[ayasuda]

I here Arizona is the hotbed of hummingbird viewing. I will eventually plan a trip to go see them.

 

[Curtis Croulet]

"Best" in what respect? Species? Sheer numbers? "Best" for numbers (my own experience only) is the set-up of an acquaintance in the mountains about 40 miles east of me.

 

[Birdingcraft]

"Best" in what respect? Species? Sheer numbers? "Best" for numbers (my own experience only) is the set-up of an acquaintance in the mountains about 40 miles east of me.

Best meaning most spectacular in your opinion and why- could be numbers of individuals or species diversity or both.

 

[Lisa W]

There are at least four great places in Southeastern Arizona. All places have excellent numbers and variety. The firt is in Patagonia at the Paton's house, about 1 mile from the Sonoita Creek preserve. Sheer numbers of birds, at times they will have 14 feeders up. The other 2 are south of Sierra Vista - Beatty's Orchard in Miller Canyon has had up to 14 different species, 10 different in one day during fall migration. The second is Ash Canyon B&B, doesn't have the same numbers, but gets some unusual ones such as the Lucifer and the Magnificent. There is also Ramsey Canyon Nature Conservancy also south of Sierra Vista, they get quite a decent number and variety.
For the U.S. Southeastern Arizona would be hard to beat for variety and volume.

 

[humminbird]

I don't have much experience outside Texas, but I do know of places in the Davis Mountains where I have seen birds in there so thick one can hardly hear themselves think and as many as 10 species in a single visit.

 

[melaniecb]

What time of year does that happen? I'd love to plan a trip out west in the fall...to the Davis mountains and/or Big Bend.

 

[humminbird]

What time of year does that happen? I'd love to plan a trip out west in the fall...to the Davis mountains and/or Big Bend.

Melanie:
The best time is mid August. They hold their hummingbird festival (see link here http://www.cdri.org/DMHBFestival/10ththankyou.htm) the second weekend in August this year.

 

[Curtis Croulet]

"Best" can change as you see more host sites. The first year we fed hummingbirds I visited Kern River Preserve, which is east of Bakersfield, California. I was "blown away" by the number of hummingbirds (Anna's & Black-chins in mid-June). Later I saw the display of an acquaintance who lives in the mountains east of me. Wow! Six 96 oz feeders being drained daily. But one day he invited an ornithologist/bander up to do a demo banding, and she said nothing about the fabulous display. My wife and I later worked with this ornithologist in a hummingbird banding project, and one day I asked why she didn't seem to be so impressed with FJ's hummingbirds. "I've seen more." She may have mentioned one of the sites in AZ. I've heard stories about places in the Ozarks that have overwhelming numbers of Ruby-throats in August.

In our own situation, right now we have a 16 oz feeder that gets drained daily. Two other feeders nearby get little traffic, and I put only a small load in them. The busy feeder has steady activity of the three species that I'd expect at this time of year: Anna's, Black-chinned & Costa's. It wouldn't impress anybody, but we have more right now than we've ever had. It's enough to keep us entertained without making us buy our own suger refinery. I'm happy.

 

[humminbird]

"Best" can change as you see more host sites. The first year we fed hummingbirds I visited Kern River Preserve, which is east of Bakersfield, California. I was "blown away" by the number of hummingbirds (Anna's & Black-chins in mid-June). Later I saw the display of an acquaintance who lives in the mountains east of me. Wow! Six 96 oz feeders being drained daily. But one day he invited an ornithologist/bander up to do a demo banding, and she said nothing about the fabulous display. My wife and I later worked with this ornithologist in a hummingbird banding project, and one day I asked why she didn't seem to be so impressed with FJ's hummingbirds. "I've seen more." She may have mentioned one of the sites in AZ. I've heard stories about places in the Ozarks that have overwhelming numbers of Ruby-throats in August.

In our own situation, right now we have a 16 oz feeder that gets drained daily. Two other feeders nearby get little traffic, and I put only a small load in them. The busy feeder has steady activity of the three species that I'd expect at this time of year: Anna's, Black-chinned & Costa's. It wouldn't impress anybody, but we have more right now than we've ever had. It's enough to keep us entertained without making us buy our own suger refinery. I'm happy.

Curtis:
The site I mentioned they drain 150 assorted sized feeders at least once daily during migration!

 

[ayasuda]

Hey Curtis, my sister lives near Santee and I'll tell you I was amazed by the number of hummingbirds that roost around her house in the eucalyptus trees at night. I wasn't able to identify them, but there would be 10-15 hummers at any one time.

 

[Curtis Croulet]

Hey Curtis, my sister lives near Santee and I'll tell you I was amazed by the number of hummingbirds that roost around her house in the eucalyptus trees at night. I wasn't able to identify them, but there would be 10-15 hummers at any one time.

I'm sure it's very impressive, but there can be a lot more than that. In Santee she's probably getting the same species I have. Speaking of Eucalyptus, hummingbirds love some kinds, but the flowers leave sticky stuff all over their head feathers, and when the sticky stuff dries, their feathers can even fall out, creating bald spots.

 

[Chris D]

Good topic.
In no order..............

Marion Paton's in Patagonia - mostly for her,,,,,,,and the hummerz.

Tandayapa's. A zillion species, branches for them to perch on, big fried trout thingy for dinner.

Yanacocha feeders at the end of the trail. Giants.........

My converted Gerbil water feeder perched over my desk in my crap trailer in SE Alaska 20 years ago. No screen on the window. Madness inches away squirting all over the letters I would write.

My house in Cali in mid April. Not the greatest, but 4 species and maybe 25 at a feeder at one time. Friends visiting from non-hummer areas and we're all lit on the local brew, SNPA.

Lastly, any feeder. Bully for tits, rooks, and the wild chicken - but any hummingbird at one's home is something special. I consider myself lucky for my experiences not just observing but also getting to turn on a few people to their 1st.

 

[wings]

Where is Tandayapa? Costa Rica?

 

[Birdingcraft]

Where is Tandayapa? Costa Rica?

No, Tandayapa is a valley in the subtropical and temperate zone on the west slope of the Andes only about two hours drive from Quito. World class birding!

Costa Rica has some great feeders too!

 

[Birdingcraft]

No, Tandayapa is a valley in the subtropical and temperate zone on the west slope of the Andes only about two hours drive from Quito. World class birding!

Costa Rica has some great feeders too!

Ooops! I forgot to mention the country once again- Ecuador!

 

[olivewarbler]

Best Hummingbird Feeders

Of course in the US it has to be the Paton's in Patagonia, Arizona and the feeders at the Santa Rita Lodge in Madera Canyon, Arizona.

In Colombia it is at Rio Blanco Reserve outside of Manizales where once I observed 17 species at once with around 100 individuals, including a Sword-billed working hard at putting his beak into the feeder. Also at Pitter's house in the West Andes above Cali there can be well over a dozen species at once time.

Cheers

 

[Tz'unun]

Of course in the US it has to be the Paton's in Patagonia, Arizona and the feeders at the Santa Rita Lodge in Madera Canyon, Arizona.

I'd have to disagree. Marion's yard is fabulous and a must-see for visiting birders, but Beatty's Guest Ranch has higher species diversity (14 species seen in one day) and usually higher numbers as well. Habitat accounts for much of the difference between the two sites. In both North and South America, hummingbird diversity is highest in the mountains, and Beatty's is located at 5700 feet in the Huachuca Mountains while the Paton home is in a desert floodplain at about 4100 feet. White-eared, Magnificent and Blue-throated are montane species that would be extremely rare in Patagonia but are regulars at Beatty's. Another big difference is that Marion lives on the edge of town, with the Nature Conservancy preserve on one side and other homes with competing hummingbird feeders on the other, while the Beatty property is nearly two miles from the next nearest residence with feeders and surrounded by national forest.

I've visited Santa Rita Lodge only a handful of times in the last ten years, and admittedly not at the best time of year, but my impression is that the hummingbird activity isn't nearly as impressive as it used to be. Like at Paton's, competition may be a factor. I think that new development in lower Madera Canyon is spreading the hummingbird population out among many feeding stations, which seems to be a big factor in the decline of the feeding station at Ramsey Canyon Preserve, the most famous hummingbird hot spot in the U.S. (maybe even the world) 20 years ago. But, like Beatty's, both Santa Rita Lodge and Ramsey Canyon Preserve have higher diversity than Paton's because they're in the mountains.

I didn't get to visit Rio Blanco when I was in Colombia in March, but I did spend a couple of days at a private home in the mountains west of Cali where there were 17 species and hundreds of individuals coming and going. They swarmed like bees around the feeders every daylight hour. Our banding workshop students handled around 200 over two days, with no more than a handful of recaptures. No Sword-billeds trying to use those feeders (I would LOVE to have seen that!), but the Long-tailed Sylphs were pretty impressive!

 

[Curtis Croulet]

I think that new development in lower Madera Canyon is spreading the hummingbird population out among many feeding stations, which seems to be a big factor in the decline of the feeding station at Ramsey Canyon Preserve, the most famous hummingbird hot spot in the U.S. (maybe even the world) 20 years ago. But, like Beatty's, both Santa Rita Lodge and Ramsey Canyon Preserve have higher diversity than Paton's because they're in the mountains.

When we visited Ramsey Canyon for the first time, in 2004, I was surprised at how close civilization approaches the reserve. In fact, the biggest surprise was the suburban development at the turnoff from the main highway, which I expected to be way out in the boondocks.

 

[olivewarbler]

You are absolutely right Sheri!! I had almost completely forgotten about Beatty's. I had only been once before I left Arizona in 2003 and it definitely was excellent.

Attached is a photo of the Sword-billed at a feeder in Rio Blanco. I have one of it with it's beak in the feeder that I will post soon.

Matthew Gable