On Hummingbirds
They don’t sing very well, just a few squeaky little chirps and they don’t hum at all!
Their wings do the humming – they move at 20 – 80 times per second and up to 200 times per second during courtship dives.
AMBER HUMMINGBIRD FEEDER
The iridescence of their feathers comes from a special air-filled structure that reflects light, much like an Opal. The Pacific Northwest has four kinds of hummers. The interior has Calliope and Black-chinned and on the coast, the recently arrived Anna’s. The Rufus seems to be the most common and is found throughout the area.
Feeding Hummers
They are sucrose junkies (white sugar). In nature they go to pants that have 25% sucrose content in their nectar. This is why your nectar should be 1 cup of white sugar to 4 cups of water. Boil for a few minutes and allow it to cool. Keep what you don’t use in a glass bottle in a fridge. DON’T USE HONEY AS IT CAN GIVE THE BIRDS A FUNGUS. Don’t use store bought nectar as it is a waste of money and has preservatives and a dye in it. DON’T USE RED DYE. The bird’s eggs will not hatch.
BURGUNDY GLASS HUMMINGBIRD FEEDER
Just use plain white sugar in a 1:4 ratio – don’t argue!
Don’t worry about their diet, the get standard nectar from flowers. They also eat a lot of mosquitoes, gnats and spiders.
YOU MUST FILL YOUR FEEDER RIGHT UP – this will stop it dripping. However, if you put the feeder in the hot sun the fluid will expand and drip – then stop when it cools down. If you have to put a feeder where it may drip and make a mess, just put a water filled bowl under it. A splash of bleach in the water will keep the ants & wasps away.
GREEN HUMMINGBIRD FEEDER
The Colour Red and Hummingbirds
To say that Hummers are only attracted to red flowers is a myth. They will go to any flower with nectar which has a 25% or more sucrose content. It is not the colour that attracts them.
If want to see Hummers up close – just stand by the feeder and freeze. They won’t ‘see’ you unless you move.
ORANGE HUMMIMGBIRD FEEDER
Feeder Problems
If your Hummers have disappeared you have probably let your nectar become moldy. You can see the mould – those little back spots. The warmer the weather the faster the mould will grow – two weeks when it is cold, 3-4 days when it is hot.
To clean your feeder use mild dish-soap and water. Rinse well and let dry. If you put your feeder out too late in the year the Hummers won’t come. The Anna’s are on the West Coast all the year round, but the Rufus arrives at the beginning of April and leaves mid July to Mid August. You will need to have your feeder up in March to attract the first arrivals.
You can find Lawrence Ruskins beautifull Hand Made Glass Hummingbird Feeders at www.sidestreetstudio.com in Oak Bay Village Victoria B.C.
RED HUMMINGBIRD FEEDER
