Anyone getting hummingbirds? We are just outside Austin, haven't had any all year, today we've got three and I already had to refill the feeder

Tons of them last weekend in Round Top. A dozen or so at the feeder at a time. Super aggressive males (I assume?) attacking every other bird. Never seen anything like it.


Edit: Wow, that picture lost a lot of detail when uploading. ChatGPT says it's a male ruby-throated hummingbird. Really pretty colors in spite of the bad pic.

https://texags.com/forums/35/topics/3618865

The local thread. I've got several in Grimes County

Migration season just started according to the local news a couple days ago. My sister had over 12 at her feeders yesterday. They looked like giant mosquitoes flying around. In south texas, Hidalgo county.

We have been having three here in College Station.

A few in Humble...like always
Wish we could get more

Some of those supper aggressive males/females are actually Rufous Hummingbirds migrating. I have had 2 females at my Red Yucca and Acanthus flowers for over a week. They will chase the Black-chinned Hummingbirds off. The female Rufous are easily mis-identified as they only have rufous on flanks and in tail, which can only be clearly seen when tail spread. They also make a high-pitched screech when chasing. It seems to be a good early fall for Rufous as some years they move much further west.

Cromagnum said:

---

Had them all summer. Some never left.

---

Same here in Bell Co. and we don't do sugar feeders but grow lots and lots of natural plants and shrubs that they feed off of. I can find one just about any day if I watch long enough.

a couple of time a year they get really thick. That's probably coming or already happening.

SW of Atlanta we get them starting in June. I've seen 3-4 at a time at the feeder fighting. I've thought about putting up a camera that'll take automatic pics.

No experience with trail cams. Would they do that?

AggieT: Howdy, I too am AMAZED by how aggressive they are, if they spent half the energy eating as they do fighting they would be as big as hawks!

Here in Rockport, we get tons, every year there is one male (?) that we call King Hummer, he sits on an Oak branch and dive bombs every hummer that comes near the feeder!

Over a dozen in Rockdale for the last week or so. Filling feeders daily. Going to have to buy sugar at Costco

In Lago vista. Seems like they never leave all year. Gave up on keeping up with the water/feed.

We have had 2-4 most of the summer in Bastrop, but had a big influx last weekend and have seen as many as 11 at once over the last few days. Ruby throated, Black Chinned, and one Rufous.

Plant a Flame Acanthus. You'll have hummingbirds everywhere.

Hank the Grifter said:

---

Three different species.
There were six at one point but couldn't ever get a good pic!

---

Where are you located Hank? That's pretty awesome. We are in Anderson County and seem to have the same birds we have had all summer. 99% Ruby Throated with the rare Black Chinned mixed in.

I have one that stays all year. Spring migration is usually slow with about 5 passing through. Fall migration kicked off with about 3 coming in over the last two weeks - this week the count jumped to 7. Last Fall, we had about 12 at peak for several weeks.

I'm in west Houston.

They start showing up for me in mid March every year & stay until mid October. I expect an increase soon with the migration now in full swing. I work from home & one of my feeders is on my office window. It is always busy.

swampstander said:

---

Hank the Grifter said:

---

Three different species.
There were six at one point but couldn't ever get a good pic!

---

Where are you located Hank? That's pretty awesome. We are in Anderson County and seem to have the same birds we have had all summer. 99% Ruby Throated with the rare Black Chinned mixed in.

---

I took that pic in Costa Rica a couple of weeks ago.
In that particular valley alone there are over 300 species of hummingbirds.
I was on cheat mode.

We've got a swarm this weekend. Grapeland, TX.

I like looking at this site. Not sure how many are hummingbirds but there is a bunch of birds coming this way.

https://birdcast.org/migration-tools/live-migration-maps/

It's a hummingbird battle scene at my house this morning.

Getting a few in Katy the past couple of weeks. Any Houston area folks get them earlier in the year? I've only had them at our house in late August/September.

NoahAg said:

---

Getting a few in Katy the past couple of weeks. Any Houston area folks get them earlier in the year? I've only had them at our house in late August/September.

---

When we lived on the far west side of Houston, we would get a few for a few weeks in April, then they wouldn't come back until August. My sister has them year round in Crosby and I have a coworker out near Tomball that has them year round as well. Both of them had Rufous hummingbirds that stuck around all winter last year.

Snapshot this morning - West Houston. That's one of four feeders. It looks like a dogfight in the evenings.

we're getting them in GA now, but they are not nearly as neighborly as y'all's. Ours are one guy at a time at the feeder and hope another one doesn't buzz his head!

Ours are mostly cooperating without much fighting in Bastrop. I am sure when the next batch arrives the dogfights will ramp up.