Hummingbird Imposters (Mystery Solved)

Self | 9-20-2002 | blam

[blam]

The last three years, at this time of year, I have put out my hummingbird feeders and I presently have 12 feeders hanging around my house, each feeder has 5-6 birds around it.
I have hummingbirds everywhere.

Now, over these last three years each evening as I go out to refill the feeders I catch sight of a strange looking 'bird' that quickly disappears so fast that I began to question whether I actually saw anything. Well, three days ago I finally got a good look at one of these critters.
It is a hummingbird looking thing but a little more fluffy and maybe a little more puffy than the 'standard' hummingbirds. I went to the library and looked through all their hummingbird books and didn't anything that looked like this 'bird.' I was beginning to think that I'd discovered a new species of hummingbird. This 'thing' does not go to the hummingbird feeders but to the flowers nearby that the hummingbirds do not bother with. I don't know what the flowers are but they are shaped like trumpets and I have decided that they are to deep for the hummingbirds to reach the nectar at the bottom. Last night I went on-line and below is what I found.

"We have had numerous reports of small orange and brown or zebra-striped "hummingbirds." These are usually hawk moths (or sphinx moths). They act just like hummingbirds, but they are insects."

These critters have a 'fold up' straw that is about six inches long that they fold out (like a carpenters folding rule) and insert into these flowers and get the nectar at the bottom.

Anyway, I thought I may enlighten some other Freepers to these Hummingbird Imposters
BTW, when the hummingbirds leave here, they fly for 26 continuous hours across the Gulf Of Mexico to the Yucatan.

[JLO]

Just curious blam, are they still sharing the feeders?

[Axenolith]

We have a lot of sage growing on our deck and a pair of Hummers that return to a big olive tree right below it every year (this is in Lafayette, CA). If they're feeding when we put some peanuts out for the bluejays and the jays come around they give em hell.

[AlligatorEyes]

We have two feeders; a four holer and a ten. We had probably 15-20 birds most every day this season. I've seen the small one with all four places filled but they don't get to sit long. It is like an aerial war around here.

When they get low there are a couple of birds that come and hover in front of the kitchen window to remind us to refill the feeders.

They are amazing to watch... too small to make a good meal though.

Eyes

[eggman]

First time one of these flew past me in the garden I thought it was a giant, mutant bumblebee. I always just called them hummingbird moths.

[Vinnie]

r9etb

Just got back from Denver. My youngest son lives there and is a huge birder. In 2 days we saw 77 different species. I had gray jays eating potato chips out of my hand on Webster Pass.

blam

He goes to a barrier island near Brownsville in the spring to watch the migration of mainly warblers. He told me that after flying over the Gulf they literally collapse on the beach. Wonder how many end up in a sharks belly.

I've seen a hummingbird moth, looks and sounds like a hummer.

Birding is not just for wusses anymore.

[fatima]

They are beautiful,we got our first feeder in the beginning of the summer.Instructions said to put it by an evergreen and once you see that they are eating to move closer to the house.That took 2 months and then all of a sudden we had hummingbirds.We moved the feeder next to the window in the kitchen,we are northeast,PA and now it seems they are gone.

[tubebender]

Cool photo. Seems the feeders have to well designed to keep bees and wasps from dipping into the sugar water.

At this moment my grandson is trying to build a better wasp trap to hang near our Humming bird feeders. We have Rufus,Annas and Allans here in Humboldt County. I have seen Hawk-moths in our garden.

blam...grand son wants to know if he can set up a paint ball field in your woods.

[potlatch]

We have a redheaded Woodpecker that comes to our feeder. He looks so big hanging there! LOL.

[JLO]

blam, a PS I forget to say earlier...

I thought that maybe one family of birds protected the food source for the immediate family. Maybe it's Mama or Papa who sits at the end of the pole I watch. And chase others off.

blam, I'll look forward to you southern observations!

[Militiaman7]

This is an insect, like a large fly or bee, but it looked like a hummingbird

The picture was taken outside of Bordeaux, France 9/01

[tubebender]

I have read that it is a territorial thing with the fighting which they lose when fattening up in the Southern states before their long journey. Same on their return.

[blam]

"Just curious blam, are they still sharing the feeders?"

Yes. One defender cannot 'hold off' all the birds, although he tries.

[JLO]

I bet you must mean mean a pileated woodpecker? Yes - they ARE awesome!

They are HUGE, prehistoric looking birds. Love 'em, can't get enough of seeing them.

[blam]

Yes, moths, Go here:

Hawk Moths

[potlatch]

I bet you must mean mean a pileated woodpecker? Yes - they ARE awesome!

As long as they are 'red-headed' you can call them what you want!! LOL.

[Mike Darancette]

Great oldie but goodie. - Thanks.

[blam]

"He goes to a barrier island near Brownsville in the spring to watch the migration of mainly warblers. He told me that after flying over the Gulf they literally collapse on the beach. Wonder how many end up in a sharks belly."

Yes. I'm also in a 'flyway' here. We have thousands come anually for bird watching. There is an Audubon park out on Daulphin Island (just down the road from me) and they call that bird collapse a 'fallout'. The birds are so exausted that when they see land, they just quit flying and fall out of the sky. I saw this when I was in submarines, we would surface and a flock of birds lost at sea would fall all over the boat. It was kind of heart breaking.

[blam]

"blam...grand son wants to know if he can set up a paint ball field in your woods."

I suppose so. Some kids down the road have already do so. They sneak in an I pretend not to see them.

[blam]

Pilated Woodpecker

[JLO]

Thanks for info tubender! I didn't know about nor have I ever read about that before. Makes sense though, losing the territorial fight (to death unfortunatatly in the north), once they get ready for the big flight. Maybe they just want to all get along to survive, ya think? Just joshin' but not really!