[birdky] Elderberries, Hummingbirds

[Doris Tichenor <dctichenor@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

A vigorous clump of wild elderberries grows right behind our house. As 
the berries ripen they attract an interesting array of birds. In the 
past couple of days we have had 2 pairs of Eastern kingbirds, a pair of 
chickadees, several immature bluebirds, some house finches and a field 
sparrow. A pair of resident Eastern phoebes that nest under a nearby 
porch uses the bushes as a convenient perch for hawking insects. And 
this morning a pair of hummingbirds was seeking nectar from a late 
lingering elderberry bloom. But we have had no cedar waxwings nor 
bluejays. We've hardly seen a bluejay all summer and we used to see 
flocks of them on the farm.

Over the past couple of weeks we have had increasing numbers of 
hummingbirds visiting our feeders. In the past we have never had more 
than two pairs, but lately there have been at least ten birds feeding 
regularly. I boil sugar water for them daily and they are drinking more 
than a quart a day. Has anyone else noticed similar increases ?

Doris Tichenor
Butler County 

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Other related posts:

[birdky] Elderberries, Hummingbirds