Not to make this HUMMINGBIRD feeder decision any stickier than it already is...

I have both a Perky Pet 4 and a HummZinger up at the moment.  The
Perky is hanging under a 25" tall blooming pink Crepe Myrtle (with
lots of perches and easy access) and the HummZinger is about two feet
in front of my office window (also very easy access), hanging from my
home's eves (sp?).

As I type this, she (Ruby-throated Hummingbird) is drinking from the
HummZinger.  On occasion, she will stop over to the Perky feeder, but
only when there is a distraction (wasp, bee, me looking at her) at the
Zinger.

Just a 'for what its worth' comment.  Really, I am just happy to have
the bird visit us here in West Annapolis.

-Dan Haas
West Annapolis, MD


On Mon, Jul 28, 2008 at 9:05 AM, Rick Sussman <> wrote:
>
> In a message dated 7/27/2008 11:06:49 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
>  writes:
>
> Ease of  cleaning means nothing if the birds won't
> use it. My hummingbirds will  hardly touch a
> HummZinger. They much prefer the Perky Pet
> feeders.  (Which are not hard to clean, really -
> just a short soak in bleach  solution.)
>
>
>
> I have to agree with Les.
>
> Over the past 20 years or so I have tried almost every newly introduced
> hummer feeder on the market, from window mounted varieties to one that looked
> like a flying saucer and claimed to be easy to clean (it wasn't). And also over
> these same years I have always steadfastly stayed true to (and used) at  least
> 1 Perky Pet 4 Fountains feeder. They are more high maintenance than most
> other feeders on the market, requiring diligent cleaning every couple of days in
> typical summer weather. But the payoff is worth it.
>
> The store where I buy my feeders and supplies claims that hummers don't
> prefer one feeder over another; it's all in what they get used to, but I
> disagree. Having used most varieties I maintain that (at least in my experience)  they
> really do seem to come more often and more regularly to the Perky Pet 4
> fountains feeder. I think the hummers also find this feeder more readily in the
> spring. On the downside,  they lose sugar solution easily in any sort of  windy
> conditions, and they do need to be cleaned more often, a process which is
> not as easy with this feeder as others. But, as Les says, what good is ease of
> cleaning if your hummers don't use the feeder?
>
> Last year I was using 2  PP feeders and one "other" feeder, which  almost
> never had any activity. This summer I am using 2 PP feeders, one at the  back of
> the house near the deck and the other by the side door and porch. Both  are
> getting used heavily right now, with 2 birds at a feeder at times, others
> flying about and chasing each other, some perching in trees waiting their turns.  I
> half-fill each feeder every 2-3 days and clean one at a time so there is
> always one ready and hung. Ants are no longer a problem, as they were earlier in
> the season.
>
> Another plus with the PP feeder, replacement parts can be bought when
> needed. The ant guards become too dirty to use after 1 or 2 seasons. Sometimes  the
> red flowers break or fade and can be replaced. Otherwise this is a great
> feeder, and the hummers seem to agree!
>
> Enjoying lots of hummers in s. Carroll County,
> Rick Sussman
> Woodbine,MD
>  (mailto:[log in to unmask])
>
>
>
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