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I've occasionally seen a few here; one sometimes would fly over my head down at the horse barn or in the front yard, the thrumming of their wings alerting me to their presence. Even though I'd put out a feeder I never attracted more of the little jewels to our yard.
Last summer was different.
One morning last summer I was working in the garden and heard the telltale sound of hummingbird wings. Nothing in the garden was in bloom and I couldn't figure out why the little bird was nearby. I finally spotted it in the mimosa tree near the garden.
Several times in the next week I spotted a tiny hummer and finally realized I should make the effort to hang up a feeder. I boiled some water and sugar and hung my glass feeder from the swingset in front yard. Before long I had half a dozen hummers fighting over the feeder.
So I dug out the little test-tube-shaped feeder and hung it up too. It doesn't hold much though, so I bought another feeder. And another. Before the hummingbirds migrated south for the winter, I had four feeders and I counted more than twelve little birds at one time (I could count twelve but there were many more flying around and I lost count at that point).
Why did we have so many last year? What was different? I pondered the question for awhile, and decided that I had more flowers in my yard last year than I've had before. Hubby gave me several more rose bushes for Mother's Day, and I'd planted more flower seeds and herbs in pots. The fruit trees have grown immensely and provide shelter and resting places near the feeders.
Not only did the hummingbirds sip from the feeders, I often saw them sipping from the roses and other flowers.
As well as being a great source of entertainment for humans, hummingbirds eat aphids, gnats, mosquitoes and other insects, and are excellent pollinators along with bees and butterflies.
Brightly-colored tubular flowers are the hummingbirds' favorite blooms, and they prefer the color red. Herbs such as bee balm, lavender and comfrey attract hummingbirds. Flowers such as hollyhocks, petunias, daylilies, hibiscus and peonies are also favorites.
To attract hummingbirds to your yard, plant flowers they like, provide plenty of places for them to perch and rest, and if possible provide a source of moving water such as a sprinkler that puts out just a mist of water or a dripping water feature.
Personally I prefer glass feeders, but plastic ones are less expensive. The last feeder I bought was plastic because that's all the store still had in stock. Some of the plastic ones on the store shelves had already split or were crushed, so I know I'll have to replace this one sooner rather than later.
Amazon even has a cute copper swing (affiliate link) for hummingbirds to perch on, but I think it would be relatively easy to make one myself. Several times I saw a hummer perched on our swingset's trapeze bar.
Hang feeders in the shade and wash them weekly to prevent bacteria from growing that would harm the hummers. You can make nectar from scratch to avoid preservatives and dyes. Don't add food coloring to the solution; it isn't necessary. Buying a feeder made of red glass like this one (affiliate link) would be a better idea.
I know, my photos show red liquid in the feeders!
Hubby made a batch of nectar and added food coloring. Please don't yell at me!
Hubby made a batch of nectar and added food coloring. Please don't yell at me!
To make hummingbird nectar combine four parts water and one part white sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and let the solution cool to room temperature before filling the feeders. Refrigerate any leftover liquid. (If you need more information, see my post on measuring by parts.)
If you notice ants raiding your feeder, an ant trap (affiliate link) will probably eliminate the problem. Many years ago a church friend made one for me from a prescription pill bottle and coat hanger wire.
Hang your feeders before the hummingbirds arrive in your area so that the first arrivals will have plenty of nectar, and leave them up for two weeks after you see the last hummer in the fall so stragglers will have a food source on their long southward journey. Journey North has a hummingbird migration map where you can track their progress and know when to expect them in your area.
You might enjoy following my Pinterest board Hummingbirds and Butterflies.
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HI Kathi,
ReplyDeleteMy understanding if you put some of the synthetic dyes in it will kill the hummingbirds. We make our own nectar just like the one your described but never put in dye. We just bought a new one this Spring and it is a smaller glass one than we had before. We really love watching them drink. They are such unique little birds. Thanks for sharing all your tips. Visiting from #WasteLessWednesdays! Sharing -pinning & tweeting. Happy Spring!
You're right, Marla. I don't use packaged nectar for that reason, and normally I don't even put food coloring in the homemade nectar but hubby refilled the feeders for me that day and he added it. Normally we don't. :-)
DeleteI love hummingbirds! A few years ago, I repurposed some bottles and made some hummingbird feeders and it was a blast to watch them.
ReplyDeleteWhat a neat way to "recycle," Kayla!
DeleteI know it's time around here, but we've had such wind and rain! Maybe next week! At least there are plenty of blooming thngs out and about. :)
ReplyDeleteKatharine, I've been keeping track this year, what's blooming and when... and really, so far there isn't that much. Fruit trees, of course, but not much else. I was surprised and disappointed. I'm glad you have more. Can you imagine those little hummers in all that wind? Poor things!
DeleteI guess it's getting to be that time again. I better get mine out. I make my own food, too. It's quick and easy, especially when I'm already in the kitchen making a meal. Thank you for the tips!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Michelle. It's good to have the feeders out before they arrive.
DeleteI read to wash every 2-3days on the heat or the sugar will ferment and make the birds sick. It gets in the 100s here...
ReplyDeleteThat's true... mine empty my feeders so fast I refill them every other day!
DeleteI wouldn't have thought about just having colored glass rather than coloring the liquid! I would love to have humming birds! Thanks for sharing on the Waste Less Wednesday Blog Hop!
ReplyDeleteThere are green glass feeders too but I think the red ones make more sense since that's the color hummingbirds are attracted to. :-) I hope you'll be able to have a few in your yard someday!
DeleteGreat post! We, too, like the hummingbirds... and see some and enjoy them, but don't get lots like some people do. We do have lots of flowers and herbs and sometimes we see them in the gardens too... but we also have lots of activity with people in our yard. :) Good reminder to get those feeders out NOW. :)
ReplyDeleteYou're probably right, all the activity in your yard keeps the number of hummingbirds down. But enjoy those kiddos in your yard while they are still young! There's time for hummingbirds later.
DeleteI think I would have to frame some of those amazing photos! My mom collected hummingbird photos, when I was a kid. Forty years later, and they still make me smile. Thanks, for the smiles!
ReplyDeleteWell, thank you for the compliment, Anne. I'm glad I was able to make you smile. :-)
DeleteI love it when tiny hummingbirds visit our yard! They are so much fun to watch. Thank you for sharing your post at Tuesdays with a Twist! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
ReplyDeleteAren't they fun, Marci? For entertainment alone it's worth attracting them to the yard.
DeleteOh my goodness, Kathi, I can't imagine seeing all those amazing little hummingbirds at one time - that is a sight I would love! I've only ever seen hummingbirds when we travel to California and only two at a time. For some reason we don't have them in the UK. Once, when I was little, I saw one in Ontario, Canada, but they are not very common. I'm fascinated by them. Thank you for sharing this great way to attract them with us at Hearth and Soul. I know that if we did have hummingbirds here I'd definitely be using it!
ReplyDeleteIt was amazing, April! I didn't realize the UK doesn't have them, and I'm happy for you that you were able to see them in other places.
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