More harm than good?

[Redoverfarm]

Wondering if there is more harm than good feeding "humming birds".  Generally I do not interfer with Mother Nature but these little fellows facinate me and provide some entertainment.  I have two feeders at the house and one at the cabin.  The population increases each year to the point that they can consume 32 oz of water in 4-5 hours.  I only fill the feeders once daily so if they "gulp" fast they have to wait until the following day for a refill.  The feeders are seperate so they do not fight as much.  At one time I counted 12 birds at a 8 hole feeder.  Here is a little video of their manic frenzy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtlqAldj2cU&feature=BFa&list=ULmtlqAldj2cU&index=14

[MushCreek]

My understanding is that feeding them does no harm. The nectar is just short-term fuel, and I guess they load up on more substantial food, such as insects, before tackling migration. I love watching them!

[Sassy]

Pretty cool!  I love watching them, too.  I've heard that the population of humming birds has increased significantly w/all the people feeding them.  Doesn't seem like all of ours migrate - we have them in the middle of winter. 

When we 1st bought our property, we had 5 feeders going, the most I saw at one time was 30...  now, w/all the flowers & plants growing on the property, there doesn't seem to be such a mad rush to the feeders. 

[rick91351]

Wow that is interesting.  The species we have around our feeder in the valley and up the the store by the ranch is different.  They are so territorial.  It is one at the feeder and one only.  They battle each other for the feeder and chase other species off all together.

We have heard that the local birders post when it is time to not fill the feeders anymore and remove them.  This makes sure they all leave at a proper time for their fall migration.  This assures they have plenty to dine on on the way down south.  This spring we had several show at our front room picture window where the feeder goes.  Hovering where the feeder usually hangs.  True to form they were battling each other.             

[Sassy]

I'll watch them fight - sometimes they never settle down long enough to eat & I'll think to myself - why don't they all just get along, then they can all get something to eat...

Then I look at humanity... 

[Redoverfarm]

Sassy for a lack of the correct word I would just call a few stingy.  At the cabin there are not the large numbers.  I think I counted 5 but this is the first year that I put up a feeder.  There is one male that just sits on a branch of a nearby tree and waits for the females to come and then knocks them down and returns to the branch to await the next recipient.  They can be aggressive toward each other.  I am just glad with the attitude that they have that they are not larger or we would all be in trouble.