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Thread: Hummingbirds

  1. #11

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    Here even without feeders we get lot of humming birds and they are just so beautiful....also there are those small sun birds...I love watching how they suck nectr from the flowers using there tiny beeks...have photgraphed several ....will see if i can attach for you people to see.....

  2. #12
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    We have more than 10 varieties here in Texas but the ones I see most often at my feeders are ruby throated and black chinned. I make my own juice which is usually a ration of 4:1. 4 cups water to 1 cup sugar. Boil it up, let it cool completely and them pour in your feeders. Make sure to change it every few days and wash out the feeders well otherwise mold will grow and harm the birds. The bird in this picture is a female. They aren't as pretty as the males but they are beautiful none the less.


  3. #13

    Thumbs up Attracting Hummingbirds

    To attract hummingbirds to your yard to breed each summer you must contain a couple elements which they require to see your yard as suitable habitat.
    1. To first attract hummers to your yard, offer nectar early in season.
    Hummingbirds migrate early, I saw my first ruby-throated here in South Jersey on 4/20/08. Luckily I had feeders already out.
    2. Suitable nesting habitat. In backyards hummers like to nest in woody thickets or dense shrubs. I have a huge lilac thicket next to my driveway and house, and some other thickets near by. Normally they breed in mixed woodlands and deciduous forests, gardens, and orchards.
    3. Hummingbirds are not picky about the color of feeders, but more about the location of where you put your feeders. Chose an area close to these thickets, or in a small tree so the birds have a place to perch in between feedings. Also, try not to have your feeder hanging out in the sunlight all day, it accelerates the decay of the nectar-water in the feeders.
    4. One last thing that isn't as important, but make one feeders nectar less sweet than the others. This makes it possible for weaker birds to feed since the males usually defend the best nectar sources.

    Hope this helps.

    Ben

    Click here for a link to a page with more information about the Ruby-throated hummingbird.

  4. #14

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    I've been noticing a tiny one enjoying my impatiens.

  5. #15

    Default hummingbird feeders

    Hi,

    I live in zone 6, NY state and have hummingbirds visit my feeder several times a day. I have a feeder that is attached to my bay window with suction cups. I fill it with store bought hummingbird food a few times a week and I can see them up really close.

    I think if you are seeing them in your garden already, you'd have good luck getting them to visit a feeder. You can hang one near the plants they are visiting and one closer to the house to see them better. Once they visit, they'll be back every year. I usually put my feeder out May 1st and leave it until the 1st frost.

  6. #16

    Default Feeding Hummingbirds

    Watching hummingbirds is so much fun. I like to keep feeders by my windows so I can watch them all day long.

    You should never use honey or food coloring in your hummingbird feeders because it is not good for the hummingbirds. You can make your own hummingbird food by mixing 4 parts water to 1 part sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil then cool completely. You can store your extra food in the refrigerator but bring to room temperature before feeding it to the hummingbirds.

    Hummingbirds also love fruit flies and other small flying insects. I will take old fruit and place it outside. When the fruit flies arrive to get at the ripe fruit the hummingbirds also come in and feed on the fruit flies.
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  7. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by garden-gal View Post
    Watching hummingbirds is so much fun. I like to keep feeders by my windows so I can watch them all day long.

    You should never use honey or food coloring in your hummingbird feeders because it is not good for the hummingbirds. You can make your own hummingbird food by mixing 4 parts water to 1 part sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil then cool completely. You can store your extra food in the refrigerator but bring to room temperature before feeding it to the hummingbirds.

    Hummingbirds also love fruit flies and other small flying insects. I will take old fruit and place it outside. When the fruit flies arrive to get at the ripe fruit the hummingbirds also come in and feed on the fruit flies.
    Thanks for the tip on the fruit flies! now I know what to do with my old fruit and make the birdies happy!

  8. #18

    Smile hummingbirds

    I recently visited a bird store and asked them why i have HB feeders out and do not seem to attract any.He said the red dye food the sell in stores is bad for the HB's. He gave my a recipe for sugar water 1 part sugar to 4 parts water, now i have 5 to 6 hummingbirds and they are beautiful.

  9. #19
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    I just put out a hummingbird feeder last summer, and had an amazing experience. We had at least 2 Ruby throated males, and 3 Ruby throated females visit.

    They were SO much fun to watch...and sometimes, they were just as curious about us as we were about them. We would be sitting in the garage, far away from the feeder, and they would buzz over to about 2 feet from our face...look at us...and then buzz away!

    I can't wait for them to come back this summer!

    In regards to food, I have heard that the clear hummingbird feed is better for them then the red feed. I have only used the red feed in the past, using both the kind that you mix up, and the kind that is already made...the kind that you mix up seemed to be eaten much more quickly than the premade liquid. Next summer I will be using the clear feed.

    ~Cat

  10. #20
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    Northern Minnesota
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    Patience, that variety of hummingbird sounds so pretty. I will try and find some pictures to see what you are talking about. Up here, in Northern Minnesota, we pretty much ONLY get the ruby throated hummingbirds, so we don't see a large variety....but we will take what we can get...LOL

    Have a good day!

    ~Cat

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