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BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds.
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Subject: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Duckboots Date: 18 May 03 - 11:45 AM No, this is not my usual early season query about why my roses have upped and gone to Picardy, it's about those little hummingbirds. Rick and I have inherited a hummingbird feeder, and I'm curious about the proper mixture of sugar and water I'm going to need in order to entice the little beauties into our back yard. Since we're in Ontario and it's still a bit chilly, should I even be putting it out yet? We certainly have no trouble attracting Starlings, House finches, Cardinals, Bluejays, and huge pigeon-like dinner proportions that our book claims to be graceful doves. Hummingbirds would be nice. Anything we need to know OTHER than the water-sugar proportions? Thanks Duckboots |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Peg Date: 18 May 03 - 11:50 AM we get lots of these out at a campsite I stay in in western NY every summer. We noticed they liked the bright colors on the tent awning and got a feeder for them; delightful to see them coming by all day... We just used the pre-packaged mix they provide and add the amount of water per measuring scoop (also provided); it is also colored red which helps the birds to see it... Be sure to change the mix as soon as the color fades (which it does quickly in the sun!) Enjoy your new friends! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: X Date: 18 May 03 - 12:04 PM Use NOTHING BUT sugar and water. Anything else like honey will cause mold to grow on the birds tongue. The ratio of the mix of water and sugar isn't that important but 1 cup sugar to 3 cups water works well. Don't let the sugar water spoil as this will also cause mold to grow on the birds on the birds tongue and get the bird drunk. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Peter T. Date: 18 May 03 - 12:47 PM "She is watching by the poplars, Colinette with the seablue eyes, she is watching and longing and waiting, Where the long white roadway lies; And a song stirs in the silence, As the winds in the boughs above, She listens -- and starts -- and trembles -- Tis the first little song of love --- Roses are shining in Picardy, in the hush of the silver dew, Roses are flowring in Picardy, But there's never a rose like you, And the roses will die with the summertime And our roads may be far apart, But there's one rose that dies not in Picardy, 'Tis the rose that I keep in my heart." (mingled sound of harmonica and artillery fire from somewhere towards the Somme). |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Rick Fielding Date: 18 May 03 - 02:02 PM Hmmmmmmm, getting the hummingbirds drunk eh? R |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: JohnInKansas Date: 18 May 03 - 02:44 PM Rick - No real stretch of the imagination. In the early days when "pit silos" were first becoming popular, there were numerous reports of mysterious "livestock ailments" that were eventually traced to fermentation of the feed in the silo. Just imagine a herd of 30 or 40 drunken (very happy) cows. John |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: MarkS Date: 18 May 03 - 02:55 PM Hi All When you make the mixture for the Hummingbirds, the 4:1 water/sugar ratio works fine, but be sure to boil the water before you add the sugar. Keeps the bacteria down = which could kill the Hummingbirds. Really makes no difference if the liquid is red, but the birds will be attracted to red colors in the area. If your feeder is red you should get lots of visitors. Be sure to keep your feeder by a window. Trust me, you will get lots of enjoyment! Mark |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Jeri Date: 18 May 03 - 03:26 PM Red flowers in the garden will attract them. I think they also like pink & purple. You could build them a little hummingbird bath. They like flying through a light spray of water. (Your basic shower vs bath bird.) There's probably some sort of device already marketed, but you could probably find directions to make one with an intentionally leaky hose, closed at the end. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Clinton Hammond Date: 18 May 03 - 03:34 PM Where did I read about someone using artificial sweetener in her hummingbird feeder cause she was concerned about their 'health'?? I do recall that the end result was all her regular birds died of starvation... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Uncle_DaveO Date: 18 May 03 - 04:13 PM Here in Indianapolis, we saw our first Hummer of the season three days ago. We are sure we have certain pairs who come back to us year after year. My wife normally puts bright red ribbon on her feeders (4 of them), to attract the hummers. Leaves 'em there at least a month or so. She colors the syrup red too, to help attract the customers. Seems silly, buying a special premix for hummer syrup. All it would be is sugar, and maybe some coloring. MUCH cheaper just buying sugar and a little bottle of red food dye. Dave Oestere |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Mudlark Date: 18 May 03 - 05:19 PM Here in Central Calif. I've got hummers all year round. But in colder climates the Audobon Society suggests checking with local chapter to find out proper time to stop feeding in fall/winter, so as not to entice the birds to stay longer than they should. No prob. at the other end, of course. Once they show up on their own...start feeding. Audobon also suggests 4:1 water/sugar mix...they claim that more sugary solutions give the birds sugar highs, and as they are naturally fierce little fighters anyway, this is not good. If feeder has red on it, not really necessary to color sugar water, but slight coloring does make it easier for humans to tell when feeder empty. Above mentioned problems with mold are important. Nothing but sugar in the water, and clean feeder thoroughly between fillings. If you cant get a bottle brush thru opening, BB shot and soapy water works well, then rinse thoroughly. It gets really hot, like 110, here in the summer and these little guys run me ragged keeping the feeders filled. If you put up more than one feeder, be sure and separate them some distance. Hummers are fiercely territorial and will defend "their" feeder(s) vigorously. Their attraction to red is legendary. I've got a jacks set on my window sill, with the traditional red jacks ball sitting atop the pile...and this gets visited daily by my hummers, checking it out thru the glass. These needle-noses can be a tad intimidating when them zoom into your face, checking out a red hat or earrings. They love to play in the spray while I'm watering the garden...and in general are great oudoor companions. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Padre Date: 18 May 03 - 08:10 PM Our hummers have returned to the Alleghany Highlands. Have seen 3 Ruby-Throated H/B feeding at our kitchen window feeder. Now if would only stop raining every day, so we can get our tomatoes in the ground..... Padre |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Bobert Date: 18 May 03 - 08:49 PM Now, I have put a drop or two of red food coloring in my mix. Some folks say this is bad, others say it ain't. All I know is that I get my birds back every year. I know from their habits. We're not even supposed to have 'em here on the Blue Ridge but I have created a bird friendly environment and so they do nest here. They love flowers and, like bees, will go from one to another sucking necter. Now, as fir some little known humming birds facts/myths: They can flap their wings 80 times per second and they fly non stop over the Gulf of Mexico. Ahhhhh, one last tip. If you only have a few humming birds (less than 6) and you have a regular feeder, you should only fill it 1/4 at a tijme and leave the rest of the mix in the refrig. And when it gets hot, yer mixture is goinna crap out after about 3 days.... Lastly, pound (or ounce) fir pound, the humming buird is the baddest of all critters on the planet... Bobert |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Tweed Date: 18 May 03 - 09:05 PM Plant some Tiger Lilys. They love those things. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: AllisonA(Animaterra) Date: 19 May 03 - 06:23 AM I always set out my feeder on Mother's day, and sure enough, even after such a long winter, my hummers are back! I've always bought the mix; reading this makes me think that when this batch of mix is gone I'll try sugar water and see if they still like it! My daughter read in Smithsonian magazine that if hummingbirds were the size of ravens, it would be dangerous to take a walk in the woods! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: gnu Date: 19 May 03 - 07:10 AM As for timing, I find they arrive as soon as the trees begin to bud. Saw my first about a week ago (southern New Brunswick.) I use the 1:4 ratio and change it once a week. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Áine Date: 19 May 03 - 10:02 AM Hey Duckboots! I saw my first 'hummer' on Friday. Can't tell you how excited I was! It really is validating to a gardener like me to see that your planting is attracting more than just gophers and pillbugs (hahaha)! I found a great website with all kinds of info on bird feeding, Birdwatcher's Digest, that I highly recommend. Here's what they have to say about hummingbirds in particular: Hummingbird Feeding Tips Don't use hummingbird feeders that are difficult to clean, or have many small parts. Do wash your hummingbird feeders thoroughly with hot, soapy water, and rinse completely, every time you refill them. Don't allow molds or yeasts to grow in your hummingbird feeders. When these appear, empty and scrub feeders immediately. When making hummingbird nectar, blend water and white table sugar in a 4 to 1 ratio (4 parts water to 1 part sugar). Add the sugar to boiling water. Bring the mixture to a boil again while stirring to dissolve the sugar, then let cool. Don't use insecticides, such as wasp killers, anywhere near bird feeders, especially hummingbird feeders. Don't use anything but white, granulated table sugar. No powdered or brown sugar, honey, molasses, red-food coloring, artificial sweeteners or nutrients should be used. I added the emphasis to the last paragraph about food coloring because I saw a few folks recommending that to you. I've asked some of the 'birders' in my wildscape gardening association about this, and they adamantly say 'NO' to adding anything to the sugar/water mixture. So, there ya go, there's my two cubes on the subject. Happy Hummer Season to ya'll!! All the best, Áine |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Kim C Date: 19 May 03 - 10:43 AM Since we didn't have any hummers last year till June, I've waited a little longer this year to put up the feeders. Plan to do it this week. We have two red feeders, and use the 4:1 water-sugar ratio. I boil it first. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Walking Eagle Date: 19 May 03 - 11:06 AM They also like a weed vine called Trumpet vine. Check your wildflowers book to see if you have any near by. It's easy to pull some out and re-plant it. You have to keep it under control though. I'm going to try harder to attract hummers this year. They are my favorite birds. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Tweed Date: 19 May 03 - 03:23 PM Yes, nothin' beats a good hummer!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Uncle_DaveO Date: 19 May 03 - 05:45 PM Walking Eagle said in part: Trumpet vine. *** You have to keep it under control though. That's a contradiction in terms, in my opinion. It's impossible to keep it in control, and nearly impossible to get rid of it. Dave Oesterreich |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Bee-dubya-ell Date: 20 May 03 - 01:11 AM Why do commercially made hummingbird feeders have three or four feeding spouts on them? Anybody who thinks that hummers are going to share a feeder obviously hasn't spent any time around them. It's fortunate that hummingbirds are so small because they are so savagely territorial that if they were the size of pigeons they would be the meanest damned critters on the face of the earth. Bruce |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Mudlark Date: 20 May 03 - 01:21 AM Bruce...the only time I've seen hummers amicably feeding together on multiple opeining feeders is when the parents bring the babies around...look honey! free sugar water!!! Otherwise it's star wars all the way. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: artbrooks Date: 20 May 03 - 08:30 AM The feeders at the nature center where I volunteer have 6-8 openings on them, and they typically have 4 birds feeding at a time. Of course, we are all naturally non-aggressive here. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Walking Eagle Date: 20 May 03 - 09:51 AM One time I counted about 75 to 85 hummers feeding on a trumpet vine that was growing on an abandoned rail yard building. It was a sight to be seen! There didn't seem to be any squabling going on. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: MMario Date: 20 May 03 - 09:58 AM saw my first hummingbird of the season last night - feeding on the last of the PJM (early) rhodies and the first of our azalea's. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: GUEST,Jon Date: 20 May 03 - 10:06 AM http://www.hummingbirdsplus.org/feeding.html http://www.birdwatchers.com/debtips.html |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Little Hawk Date: 20 May 03 - 11:11 AM My friend, Walsh (raptor) had hummingbirds at his feeders this weekend, along with all kinds of other beautiful birds, a black squirrel, a red squirrel and a couple of chipmunks. He lives near Barrie, Ontario. - LH |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: gnu Date: 20 May 03 - 02:39 PM I had hummers nesting in a lilac bush once. One of my cats was queen of the neighbourhood and only bowed to one particularly large Tom, but the hummers didn't put up with her. I witnessed one fight that was amazing. The two hummers were flying in figure eights, alternating smacking the cat in the back of the head on each, or at least every second, pass. It got to the point where she was lying on, nay, hugging the ground and wailing. I had to break it up. She left the hummers alone after that. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Áine Date: 20 May 03 - 03:12 PM I put up my hummer feeder yesterday. No takers so far that I've seen; but then, it is raining today. I did see my first tufted titmouse of the season a couple of days ago. Cutest little things you'll ever see -- not much in the way of colour; but, they have a lot of personality for such a little bird! Here is a picture and sound sample of the tufted titmouse. Enjoy! All the best, Áine |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: JennyO Date: 21 May 03 - 05:50 AM Cute sound. I'm sure I've heard birds like that in Sydney, but I'm no bird expert. Jenny |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: greg stephens Date: 21 May 03 - 06:03 AM This thread is reminding me of some very good times. I made my first trip to America last summer, and of the many thrilling and interesting things we saw, there is no memory that beats sitting on the deck at the back of Bobert's house, drinking beer and watching humming-birds feeding. Never having seen them before except on TV, it was just wonderful. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: GUEST Date: 21 May 03 - 10:15 AM If you want them to visit the feeder more frequently, (every 5 minutes) dilution is 4 water to 1 sugar.
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Walking Eagle Date: 21 May 03 - 10:15 AM That was a good story about the hummers and Miss Queenie cat! I would hve been doubled up laughing. They are quite the fighters. I have seen them feed peacefully though. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Cluin Date: 21 May 03 - 03:06 PM I hear hummingbirds just love alliteration. Sounds like you're well on your way. When they come around, see if you can manage to teach them the words. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: AllisonA(Animaterra) Date: 21 May 03 - 05:08 PM When I'm the kitchen I sometimes hear a noise that sounds like a distant engne- close up! Sure enough, it's a rubythroat next to my ear just outside at the feeder! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: artbrooks Date: 21 May 03 - 06:33 PM GUEST@10.15 am: isn't 1:1 a lot too sweet? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Cluin Date: 28 May 03 - 12:23 AM Today was nice and hot here and I saw the regular feeder was emptied out with the raccamacoon what came to visit my dog on the other side of the patio door a couple of nights ago, so took the empty seed feeder down for the summer, cleaned up the old hummingbird feeder and hung it filled with about a 1:3 mix. Saw a male ruby-throat perched on it, having a long sup, about an hour later. Good timing since the trees will be about to blossom this time next week if the warm weather finally stays. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Kim C Date: 28 May 03 - 09:39 AM Animaterra, last year I was at the kitchen sink, and I heard what I thought was a chainsaw. I looked up and there was a little girlie hummer at the feeder on the window. We put our big feeder out last Saturday, and saw our first guests on Sunday. Someone told me that each hummer you see at your feeder is a different one every time. I have a hard time believing that, but I suppose it could be true. Anyone know? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Help! Having Happy Hummingbirds. From: Mudlark Date: 28 May 03 - 09:28 PM I've never tagged a hummer but they visit so often the air would be full of them if a totally different bird each time. They are quite territorial, and one will stake out a feeder, then will often defend it against all comers. 1:1 is way too sweet, so Audobon society claims...they say this is actually not good for the birds, way over the top compared with their natural nectar foods...1:4 more closely approximates that. Also, if you are finding solids in the hummer juice, it's likely because the sugar was not fully dissolved...it takes a couple of minutes at simmer, with attentive stirring, to make sure of total dispersal. Fussy, fussy! But they are well worth the trouble! |
