Hummingbirds in The Villages?

[Tvflguy]

We saw a hummingbird flying around a flowering bush beside our house. We love birds. Thinking of getting a hummingbird feeder if they are prominent here. Are they???

Want to check before getting one. Appreciate feedback. TIA

[Michael G.]

We saw a hummingbird flying around a flowering bush beside our house. We love birds. Thinking of getting a hummingbird feeder if they are prominent here. Are they???

Want to check before getting one. Appreciate feedback. TIA

We have put out a hummingbird feeder in the pass but not many hummers around, you almost have to put in a place were you can spot one daily.

Also the problem was ants.
Those feeders need to be cleaned offend

[bagboy]

We saw a hummingbird flying around a flowering bush beside our house. We love birds. Thinking of getting a hummingbird feeder if they are prominent here. Are they???

Want to check before getting one. Appreciate feedback. TIA

We put out feeders a few years ago without much success. Our feeders in Ohio and South Carolina were always busy. I know hummingbirds are around, we occasionally see them near our flowers. That said, it's not a big investment to give it a try. Maybe you'll have better luck.

[Arctic Fox]

The Villages has a general policy that you are not supposed to feed the wildlife.

A lot of residents ignore this and feed the birds, but this can cause problems with rodents (and ants as noted above).

If you want to attract birds it would be better to choose the right plants for your garden.

[Happydaz]

Feeders are not a good answer to attract hummingbirds in Florida. The best way is to plant native plants such as salvias and coral honeysuckle. I see hummingbirds when their favorite plants are in bloom. They are quick so you have to be alert in the garden in order to spot them. Butterflies are also attracted to Florida native plants. Just go on the University of Florida IFAS or Florida Native Plant Society websites and you can learn about all the native plants that attract these wonderful creatures.

[Arctic Fox]

Feeders are not a good answer to attract hummingbirds in Florida. The best way is to plant native plants such as salvias and coral honeysuckle. I see hummingbirds when their favorite plants are in bloom.

They are very keen on our bottlebrush tree but that, of course, is only in flower for part of the year. Never see them when it isn't.

[mikeycereal]

My sister is getting rid of her feeder because she says she hasn't seen any hummingbirds around. I'm going to add butterfly plants to my garden and hummers are welcome too.

[LucyP]

Wildlife meaning gators no feed! Coyotes, bobcats, bears,raccoons. Feeding the birds are find.

[Dusty_Star]

Wildlife meaning gators no feed! Coyotes, bobcats, bears,raccoons. Feeding the birds are find.

Bird feeders attract rats, squirrels, mice & in the case of sugar water ants.

The advice about flowers they like is good advice. Hummingbirds seem to like red flowers.

[Bay Kid]

If you do put out a hummingbird feeder you must change the food and clean the feeder daily for the health of the bird.

[larbud]

Firebush!

[Mrs S]

Saw one sticking his nose into our red hibiscus flowers a couple of days ago. Tiny little thing.

[Tonydivo]

I keep trying but nothing yet,we are in new village

[Tonydivo]

Keep trying, nothing yet here

[RobinM]

We have hummingbird feeders and see one or two feeding every day. It’s not like in New Mexico where we’d have a dozen or more of different species crowding the feeders and have to refill twice a day. But we’ll take our one or two here and enjoy them.

[Sandy and Ed]

In our former Maine summer home we would have a dozen hummingbirds on the overhead wires waiting to get to our feeders. Green breasted male had a harem. Would actually buzz us when we sat outside! Here, nada!

[merrymini]

Go natural with plants. A feeder has to be sterilized, and the sugar solution changed daily, or the solution can kill the birds. My neighbor had one and took it down because it did not being any birds.

[Joe C.]

The Villages has a general policy that you are not supposed to feed the wildlife.

A lot of residents ignore this and feed the birds, but this can cause problems with rodents (and ants as noted above).

If you want to attract birds it would be better to choose the right plants for your garden.

The Villages has a "POLICY"? The only thing you have to follow is the LAW. My policy is to feed birds whenever I feel like it. Only the sheeple follow other people's "policy".
Use your common sense (if available) and don't worry about anything.

[EastCoastDawg]

Wildlife meaning gators no feed! Coyotes, bobcats, bears,raccoons. Feeding the birds are find.

Hmm. Wouldn't just be wishful thinking, would it?

Defining wild birds as not being wildlife is a bit of a stretch.

[EastCoastDawg]

The Villages has a "POLICY"? The only thing you have to follow is the LAW. My policy is to feed birds whenever I feel like it. Only the sheeple follow other people's "policy".
Use your common sense (if available) and don't worry about anything.

"if available"?

The post suggested using flowers to attract hummingbirds. Where is the lack of common sense in that?

[Raybor3]

They migrate north from Mexico, so they’re only in this area a short time.

[fraurose]

That’s the best way to attract hummingbirds if you put a hummingbird feeder out ,
Once there will see the feeder there will come back all the time and you will get more and more Hummingbirds . It may take a little while but there will come !
So fantastic to watch them !

[Joe C.]

"if available"?

The post suggested using flowers to attract hummingbirds. Where is the lack of common sense in that?

Only commenting on "policy". Otherwise agree with OP.

[mraines]

We saw a hummingbird flying around a flowering bush beside our house. We love birds. Thinking of getting a hummingbird feeder if they are prominent here. Are they???

Want to check before getting one. Appreciate feedback. TIA

I don't think they are prevalent, but they are here. I got rid of my feeders and instead have a shrimp plant(they come to that). I would plant flowers that they like. Especially in the heat of summer, too hard to keep the feeders safe and clean.

[EastCoastDawg]

Only commenting on "policy". Otherwise agree with OP.

Thank you for clarifying.

[Sandy and Ed]

The Villages has a "POLICY"? The only thing you have to follow is the LAW. My policy is to feed birds whenever I feel like it. Only the sheeple follow other people's "policy".
Use your common sense (if available) and don't worry about anything.
Amen

[PurePeach]

We saw a hummingbird flying around a flowering bush beside our house. We love birds. Thinking of getting a hummingbird feeder if they are prominent here. Are they???

Want to check before getting one. Appreciate feedback. TIA

We had as many as 16 hummers at once at our feeders in Atlanta and they came back every year and some would buzz our heads! Then we moved here. It’s our 3rd summer here and the first summer I saw one hummer. He came back the next day to the same spot, so I bought a feeder. He would come almost every day, but then stopped. We put a feeder out last summer and never saw a single one and after about a month we took them down. ☹️

[Happydaz]

I plant the flowers, shrubs, and vines that the hummingbirds enjoy. It could be possible that if you are not seeing the birds at your feeders that they may be getting natural nectar from all the plants that bloom here in central Florida.

[JBryson]

We had a good amount hang out around our bottle brush tree when we first few years we moved here...not many now...our trees aren't putting out the red bottle brushes as much.

[Happydaz]

Just saw a hummingbird this morning. He was getting nectar from the native vine, coral honeysuckle that is growing over an arbor. The red tubular flowers were worked over by this little fellow for 15 minutes. Of course, when I went to get my phone to take a picture he was gone when I came back. Last night we had two black bellied whistler ducks who were trotting around my garden and then they decided to look at their reflections in the lanai windows. They are pretty tame and didn’t move off when I was looking at them from inside the lanai. I think they were looking for a nesting spot. They are beautiful ducks! My wife wouldn’t let me run out and buy a wooden nesting box! The Villages is filled with wonderful wildlife.

[Happydaz]

Black bellied Whistler Ducks