arf@chinet.chi.il.us (Jack Schmidling) (09/17/89)
hum/e9
HUMMINGBIRDS AND JEWEL WEEDS
Several hummingbirds have been regular visitors since my original posting.
On one occasion I actually saw two at the same time. One chased the other
away.
So far, only one other sighting in the Chicago area. They are very rare in
the big city. That, of course is what makes them so exciting around here.
The key to attracting hummers to places where they are rare is jewel weed
(Impatiens capensis) also know as touch-me-not for the way the seed pods
explode when touched.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I will repeat my offer of free seeds to anyone who would like their own
private hummers. Just send me a self addressed, stamped, BUSINESS SIZE,
envelope and I will mail them out. I still have plenty of them left.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I forgot to include planting instruction with the ones I already sent so
here's the deal:
I have not experimented with them because they self seed so easily.
Consequently, I do not know if they require a dormant period or frost to
germinate. To be safe, I would leave them outside over winter. On a back
porch, between the storm window or in the car trunk. That's the way nature
treats them so you couldn't go wrong.
They do best in full sun but will flower even in total shade. They wilt
pathetically on hot sunny days but recover at night. That would indicate to
me that partial shade/sun would be preferred. The amount of sun seems to
have an effect on when they flower. The more sun the sooner, so for max
flower time, plant them all over.
For the first year, I would plant them in one place for best effect. The
following year, you will have more seeds than you will know what to do with.
..........................
The other exciting news is that I finally got one to use the nectar feeder
that I have been religiously cleaning and filling every week for 5 years.
The feeder is red and the jewel weeds are yelllow/orange, so I experimented
by painting one of the plastic flowers with yellow stripes and I removed the
bee guard, which happens to be yellow.
The result was almost instantaneous. Within an hour, a female was including
the feeder on her regular rounds of the jewel weeds and is almost
continuously somewhere in the yard as opposed to leaving for hours at a time.
I have since painted the yellow stripes on all the plastic flowers. She
pokes at all the flowers now but only drinks from those without the bee
guard.
The fact that the bee guard is yellow convolutes the experiment but I feel
pretty sure that the yellow stripes brought her to the feeder. The bee
guards are definately a hindrance to birds unaccustomed to them.
Happy Humming!
Jack Schmidling
4501 Moody
Chicago, Il 60630
kan@cbnewse.ATT.COM (kathy.a.casali) (09/18/89)
In article <9599@chinet.chi.il.us>, arf@chinet.chi.il.us (Jack Schmidling) writes: > > HUMMINGBIRDS AND JEWEL WEEDS > > So far, only one other sighting in the Chicago area. They are very rare in > the big city. That, of course is what makes them so exciting around here. > I dont know where you get the information on sightings in the Chicago area. I live in the south suburbs. I put up humingbird feeders so do my parents (2 blocks away), and my inlaws (.5 mile away), we all get hummingbirds. The Chicago Audubon Society in a early spring paper, had a article on them in this area along with a questionaire to fill out about there summer activities. They are more common than you think. Kathy
dune@cbnewsl.ATT.COM (Greg Pasquariello) (09/19/89)
I had an interesting hummer experience the other day. I recently bought a red plaid quilted flannel shirt that I wear in cool weather. The shirt has 1.5 inch squares of black, black-and-red, and red. The red is really bright too. Anyway, this past week I was on my hawkwatch with it, and it was a little warm, so I had it hanging on a dead tree branch. I should tell you now that although hummers are not uncommon at our hawkwatch, when they are seen, they are zipping thru at ludicrous speed. This particular day however, I managed to spot one as it was coming in off the horizon, and it blazed full speed ahead straight for the shirt! After a couple of seconds, apparently satisfied that ths was not to be eaten, the tiny bird blew off never to be seen again. Greg Pasquariello att!picuxa!gpasq
jklee@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (James Kin Wah Lee) (09/19/89)
In article <1919@cbnewsl.ATT.COM> dune@cbnewsl.ATT.COM (Greg Pasquariello) writes: >I had an interesting hummer experience the other day. I recently bought a >red plaid quilted flannel shirt that I wear in cool weather. > [story deleted] >This particular day however, I managed to spot one as it was coming in off >the horizon, and it blazed full speed ahead straight for the shirt! Interesting you mentioned this. When I used to work in what is now Bruce Peninsula National Park (in Canada), there was a great little spot in a marsh that was quiet and full of cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis). Needless to say, this was a favourite hangout for ruby-throated hummingbirds. One of my correspondingly favourite pastimes was to dress up in a (you guessed it) red flannel shirt and sit quietly amongst the flora while the hummers would hover and evaluate your "nectar potential". I suppose they must have initially thought that the huge red blob before them was God's gift to hummingbirds. Got some nice photos that way, too. JIM -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jim Lee (jklee@phoenix.Princeton.EDU) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Dept. of Geol. & Geophys. Sci. * THERE ARE STRANGE THINGS DONE * Princeton University * IN THE MIDNIGHT SUN ..... * Princeton, NJ 08544 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * --------------------------------------------------------------------------
arf@chinet.chi.il.us (Jack Schmidling) (09/19/89)
aspit/e10 Article 1325 in rec.birds: From: kan@cbnewse.ATT.COM (kathy.a.casali) Subject: Re: JEWELWEEDS AND HUMMINGBIRDS Keywords: free seed and how to In article <9599@chinet.chi.il.us>, arf@chinet.chi.il.us (Jack Schmidling) writes: > > HUMMINGBIRDS AND JEWEL WEEDS >> So far, only one other sighting in the Chicago area. They are very rare in the big city. That, of course is what makes them so exciting around here. Cathy says: >I dont know where you get the information on sightings in the Chicago area. I live in the south suburbs. I put up humingbird feeders so do my parents (2 blocks away), and my in laws (.5 mile away), we all get hummingbirds. ARF says: I really don't want to get into a spitting contest with you but I did say "in the big city" and aside from an ocasional sighting in a forest preserve or park along the lake front they are extremely rare "in the city". I know of no one else who reports them in a private yard "in the city". Jack Schmidling (arf) p.s. Another one showed up this morning but was quickly escorted out of the area by the female that "lives" here. This is the second time this has happened. If this is typical behavior, I wonder how it is that they sometimes are seen by the numbers around feeders. Arf
media@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (Institute for Digital Arts) (09/22/89)
> p.s. Another one showed up this morning but was quickly > escorted out of the area by the female that "lives" here. > This is the second time this has happened. If this is > typical behavior, I wonder how it is that they sometimes are > seen by the numbers around feeders. Although I dont live in the Chicago area, I think I can comment on this :-). My mother has two feeders hanging in front of a picture window in her house. The hummingbirds come by the tens. They appear to be *very* territorial concerning the feeder. Sometimes it seems the birds spend more time trying to chase each other away than they do feeding :-) It is really pretty amusing to watch six or eight birds, each trying to chase the rest away from "its" feeder :-) pam
arf@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Jack Schmidling) (07/26/90)
JEWEL WEEDS AND HUMMINGBIRDS
Last Fall, I sent packets of jewel weed (Impatiens capensis)
seeds to several dozen people on this net. I absolutely
guaranteed that anyone who planted these seeds would have
hummingbirds next (this) Fall, even if they lived in the
middle of a major city.
Well, if my lack of success in getting these seeds to
germinate is typical, I don't expect a standing ovation. I
kept two lots of these seeds; one spent the Winter on the
back porch exposed to weather and the other I kept in the
house.
To determine dormancy requirements, I made germination tests
of both lots, on a monthly basis, from November through
July. To my utter amazement, not one single seed
germinated.
What I already know is that, the original two plants
produced dozens the next Spring and each year there is an
exponential increase in the number of plants. This year I
had to pull out thousands, they are so prolific, if just
left alone.
Two questions:
1. Did anybody have any luck with the seeds I sent?
2. Does anybody have any idea why these seeds will not
germinate?
Jack Schmidling arf@gagme