When does hummingbird season end?

[Anonymous]

You guys successfully helped me through my first hummingbird year! I started early in the season and it took a while for them to find me. I have some of the right plants for them, and kept the feeder maintained. Just in the last few days I've started to see more than one bird at a time, so the word is out that our yard is the place to be

So, what's next? When does the season end, and when should I take down the feeder? Next spring, will it be as slow a start for them to show up, or do they know now? (Not sure their life span or what happens to them in winter...) How do I up my game next year? I love these little guys!

[Anonymous]

I started last year and pretty late--the beginning of July. Migrations from the north are starting around now, and as I recall, last year a peak was reached around the first or second week of September. Then it slowly decreased to the end of the month as the birds that stayed in our area instead of going further north begin their southward migration. The rule of thumb is to keep the feeders up until two weeks after your last sighting. I took mine down around the third week or fourth week of October.

Spring migrations from Florida hit our area around the beginning of April, so you could put your feeders back up around then. Do not expect much action, though, as mid-April is more common in our area for first sightings (you can Google for spring hummingbird migration to get a map that is updated as first sightings appear geographically). You will likely get more sightings in May but the nesting season begins and the females make extremely quick trips to feed before hurrying back to their nests. So there is a bit of luck in sighting them at the right time. July is when it has picked up for me as the juveniles leave the nest and the females can resume more leisurely passes at the nectar.

I planted a lot more humming bird attracting plants this year that have hit their blooming stride in the last two weeks or so ago, so my feeders are not getting nearly the action they got last year. I must say I have been disappointed in the late blooming, so I am plotting now to be ready to plant next year as soon as the danger of frost has passed instead of not doing it until mid-May or so like I did this year.

What bloomed earlier for me was native honeysuckle, a perennial planted last year. After a pretty prolonged blooming break it is now back in business, and I see a hummingbird on it now even as I type. I was also able to find large Deep Rockin' Purple salvia in May in a local nursery that brought hummingbirds very quickly. My Black and Blue and Amistad salvia took a long time to have reliable blooms and the same with Hot Lips, which survived the winter. Last year's monarda started blooming in the latter half of June and attracted them. San Carlos Festival is said to be a spring and fall bloomer, but the ones I planted in mid-May didn't really start blooming until after July. They are said to be hardy in our zone, so I am hopeful they will survive winter and bloom next spring.

A surprise success was blue Mystic Spires salvia. This is not generally listed as an especially good hummingbird plant, but I planted in mid-May, and the blooms came quickly and the hummingbirds fed on them. They are said to be hardy in our zone (7), so I have hopes they will make it through the winter. If not, they are very widely available in nurseries in our area, so it shouldn't be difficult to get them in the ground early next year. They are still going really strong and are still being visited. The same was true of Nepeta Walker's Low I planted last year. It is a relatively early bloomer and a reliable perennial in this area. I plan on planting more for next year.

I was very interested in planting the various salvia Wishes, but they are nearly impossible to find locally and many of the mail order places were very back ordered, so I ended up planting them late. Next year I will preorder much earlier so I can get them in the ground in later April. Same with Porterweed. The hummingbirds really like these and the Wishes (and the Amistad). I also am going to try cuphea David Verity. Vermillionaire is pretty available locally but growth this year was not as good as last year. Verity is supposed to grow larger and stronger.

More out of curiosity, I planted Lion's Ear very late. It still has not bloomed, so I can't say anything about its hummingbird attracting powers.

Others: I have seen a hummingbird on the cardinal flowers exactly once despite its reputation as an attractant. I have seen hummingbirds on my lantana, Ember Glow zinnia (not others) and agastache Blue Fortune, none of which you will see listed as humming bird plants.

Now that I've seen all the I have written, I realize that I've become rather obsessed. Oh well. For true obsession, you can take a look at a hummingbird forum on which I occasionally lurk.

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/featheredfriends/the-hummingbird-forum-f439743/

[Anonymous]

Lions Ears has hummers fighting over it once it's in full bloom. Leonotis Nepetifolia blooms longer and will volunteer, unlike leonurus. The common red Cardinal flower is also highly prized in my yard, as well as Cardinal climber and Spanish flag vines. Canna Robert Kemp, Russian Red, Omega and Skyhawk are also extremely popular.
The latest hummer sighting I have had is October 18, so I keep the feeders up till the end of October.
PP, I post on that forum too. It's a great resource.