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Old August 7th, 2018, 09:46 AM
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hazelrunpack hazelrunpack is offline
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Location: Just east of the Hazelnut Patch, Wisconsin
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Thanks, Marko. Light was too harsh, but the flowers regenerate nectar fastest (and therefore get the most traffic) when they're in direct sun.

Reg, yes, all Ruby-throated hummingbirds but the one in the second shot is a hatch year male. See the dots on the throat? By next spring, the dots will be magically transformed into that glorious metallic ruby gorget.

We've had quite a few birds through the breeding season but we had 3 days of torrential rain in late June. I think it wiped out most of the local broods. Our migration apparently peaked on Aug 4th, at least a week sooner than normal, and the numbers are declining as the adults migrate. Juveniles migrate later than adults, so we may get a smaller peak in a few days as hatch year birds from farther north come through on their way to wintering grounds.

Just to compare how many fewer visitors we're getting, we normally go through about 21 cups of nectar a day during the peak of the migration. This year, we topped out at 16 - 17 cups and we're already back down to 4 feeders and only about 12 - 13 cups consumed a day. Sort of sad, but it does make for a more relaxing August.
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