Hummingbirds will be arriving soon here on the Jersey Shore :)
Now is a good time to get ready for their arrival!
Here are a few tips for attracting and caring for these little beauties.
~ Store bought 'nectar' is not only expensive, but in some cases unhealthy for the birds. Make your own instead! The recipe is a 1/4 ratio, meaning 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. Leftover solution should be refrigerated. Please leave the red dye out of your mixture. It is not needed :)
~ Feeders should be changed every 4-5 days in cooler weather, even more often if the sun is beating down on it. Hummers will often avoid a rancid food source (something to check if you see your numbers dropping), but if they have few other nectar choices available, they will eat from the spoiled feeder. It doesn't take a lot of bacteria to make something so small, very sick. Also note that insects spoil the feed quickly. There are ant guards available, and once the other insects start invading there are port guards that work wonderfully.
~ Consider adding a few window feeders if you would like to view them up close. There is a suction cupped wooden hanger that is just the right size to hold a full feeder securely.
~ Do you garden? If given the choice, hummers prefer natural food sources. They dearly love Hosta, Azalea, Honeysuckle, Salvia, Monarda (Bee Balm), Mint, Trumpet Vine, Sedum, Butterfly Bushes, and lots of other blooming flowers.
~ If you have hummer bullies that guard 'their' feeder and will let no others come near, try putting several feeders that are not within eyesight of each other. This will help ease those territory battles that tend to ensue around July-August.
~ Did you know that hummingbirds are voracious insect eaters? They have to have the protein that the insects provide. Please keep this in mind when you spray insecticides. Unfortunately broad-range insecticides are not selective to the particular insect that you are trying to combat. It takes a very minimal amount of poison to harm these little ones. Perhaps try organic gardening! It's not only healthier for the beneficial insects like bees and for wildlife that might consume poisoned prey...but it's also a lot healthier for humans too. Our children (those with and without fur) shouldn't breathe or be in contact with poison either!
~ If you live in their breeding area, try to watch where they head after feeding. If you can spot the tree they head to, try scanning the branches (with bins, please do not ever attempt to approach a nest). Their nests are tiny and sort of look like a clump of lichen or moss. A nest will usually hold two little Tic-Tac sized eggs :) When they hatch they will only be an inch long. Mama will take care of the little ones all by herself, feeding them regurgitated insects and nectar every 20 minutes. She will even scare the male away because his brightly colored feathers could catch a predators eye.
ID alert~~~ :)
~ There is a particular insect that we often mistake as a hummingbird. It's a species of moth that is called a 'Hummingbird Moth'. These moths tend to visit the same flowers as the hummers, so at a glance they might appear similar. Here is a picture of a Hummingbird Moth sipping from a Butterfly Bush:
We had several in the garden last year. Every time they darted by, I'd have to take a second glance to make sure!
An often over-looked part of enjoying wildlife and nature in our environment is the responsibility we take on when we provide food, water, and shelter. We must keep the feeders, bird baths, and bird houses clean and safe. It is also vital to consider our wildlife friends when we try to remove pests from our homes and gardens.
They give us so much pleasure :) It's the least we can do to thank them.
Thank you so much for reading about our smallest bird! We are blessed to be able to enjoy their presence in our lives. They are proof that the greatest blessings in this life are sometimes the smallest :)
Here is a wonderful tracking chart that you can use to monitor how soon the Ruby Throated Hummingbirds will arrive at your location:
http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html
Make sure to report your first arrival! If you would, please let me know too :) I'd love to hear from you!
