I got a new hummingbird feeder and hung it up on the patio cover. 2 days, no hummingbirds. I’ve seen them around before so I know they’re out there.

Do you any special tricks to attract them?

Or is there a right time of year?

Just give it time. You will not get the number of birds as in SoCal but you will get regulars.

There are websites that track their migration.

https://www.hummingbird-guide....g-migration-map-2021

I saw one a couple of days ago in my yard. It briefly fed at a hanging basket of fuchsia and then moved on.

We have regulars who return year after year. We delayed putting up our feeder this year. A few days ago, a bird flew up to the window where the feeder used to hang, glared at my wife, and flew off. Yeah, a bit anthropomorphic I know, but the bird seemed to be saying, "where the f*** is it. Get it back out here ... NOW!"

We had the feeder back up the next day.

How do they find the feeder? Smell?

It took a few weeks for them to find our feeder the first time...

We haven't tried here in the city, but just saw reports of others at a similar height not far from here, so we might give it a try again!

Make sure your food is fresh and done right -- 25% sugar, 75% water. It also can ferment in the feeder, so change it out every 2-3 days, more if it's hot.

They are attracted to bright colors, and generally the red on the feeder is enough. However we have had major success on our backyard feeders with also supplying some potted plants with hummingbird-attracting flowers (fuschia, salvia, bee balm, etc.). They like it best if there's a place nearby where they can hang out with a bit of cover (like in a leafy tree or a bush).