 Hummingbirds
Winged
jewels of the garden!
It
is a marvel to see hummingbirds hovering in mid air and their
fast fly by buzz of the feeders. It is not hard to attract hummingbirds
and well worth the effort to learn how to make hummingbird food
and plant a hummingbird garden!
Favorite
Hummingbird Garden Flowers:
Hummingbirds
are most attracted to red, tubular flowers. But they also love
any bright colored flowers like yellow, orange, pink. I have had
them humming around white petunias in the spring.
To
make a great "hummer" garden pick bright colors and
tubular flowers. Some of the flowers they like are: red salvia,
lobelia, coral honeysuckle, hibiscus, trumpet vine, scarlet sage,
butterfly bush, phlox, columbine, delphinium, shrimp plant and
agave.
Hummingbird
Feeders & Supplies:
The
hummers will start arriving early in Spring so have your feeders
out, supplies in order and be ready for them! If you place your
feeders close to bright flowers, they will discover them faster.
You will soon find that one is not enough as more and more hummers
find your feeders.
It
is also a good idea to keep your feeders up long into the winter
months as they will be used by migrating hummers and those birds
unable to make the long trip. You can take the feeders down after
you are sure there are no birds "wintering" over.
Hummingbird
feeders should be placed in a shady area to discourage bacteria
and mold from spoiling the nectar. Even if you still have nectar
in your feeder, you should replace it at least once a week.
It
is wise to clean your hummingbird feeder every 2 - 3 days, especially
in hot weather. Nectar tends to "ferment" in the hot weather
and harmful bacteria will form. (this will happen even if the feeder
is not in direct sunlight) You should clean feeder with a mild soapy
solution (no harsh chemicals) and bottlebrush. Be sure to rinse
very well in clear water to remove all traces of soap residue!!
You
don't need a lot of supplies for hummers but one of the most handy
is a good bottle brush! It sure makes things a lot easier when cleaning
the feeders!
To
avoid pesky ants in your feeders you can coat hangers with Vaseline.
The sugary nectar also attracts unwanted bees so it is best to get
hummingbird feeders with bee guards.
Nectar
/ Hummingbird Food:
It
is really not necessary to use red colored dyes and nectars. When
making your own hummingbird food it is best to stick to 4 parts
water to 1 part sugar. This will come close to the glucose concentration
found in flowers.
Recipe
for Making your own Hummingbird food:
4 parts
water / 1 part sugar
Bring
water to a boil and stir in sugar. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Let cool.
Excess nectar / hummingbird food can be stored in a tightly covered
jar in refrigerator for one week.
Do
NOT substitute honey for sugar!!
If
You Find an Injured Hummingbird:
Please
do not put them into a wire bird cage! They can easily hurt themselves
on the wire. Place the injured hummer into a shoebox (with air holes)
and put the lid on with a rubber band. Place the shoe box in a quiet
place and then call your local
wildlife rehabber. Please do not let children handle the bird.
This is not the time to play "looky loo" for the whole
neighborhood. The life of the bird depends on this! An overly stressed
bird can easily go into shock!
Hummingbirds
are the only bird that can fly backwards.
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