While potting up hibiscus seedlings, Branden yells...baby come here quick...this poor little guy had flown into the house and got caught between the screen door and sliding door on his way back out once he realized he'd made a wrong turn lol...he's fine...and gone now :)
Well, he must have come on over to our house, and brought a friend. My hubby saw one in the back yard and I saw one in the front. The l/r windows have mirror film on them, and he was admiring himself in the same window/mirror the Mama Cardinal claimed all winter.
First sighting is always exciting!
I boiled water and got the sugar out of the freezer. Only have one feeder now. How many feeders does everybody have?
The nectar spoils so quickly down here that I never put any out, I just plant lots and lots of red flowers and we have had several hummers visiting. The big surprise today was a male Painted Bunting. We had a female a few weeks ago but this was the first male this year and that is always grounds for a celebration here.
Guess I'd better start making nectar and put the feeders out!
What an amazing picture. I'll have to start some sugar syrup today. Where do you hang your feeders- in the open or in protected areas?
I have one outside the kitchen window and one hanging from a dogwood by the hot tub...by nature they are really inquisitive so I find after a shy few days of introduction lol...they will feed whether it's a protected area or not...
I do not boil my sugar water - just use a 4-1 ration water to sugar, mix well and after a week whatever is left gets changed again in the feeders...the feeder by the kitchen window is already empty...(it's a small glass globe so it doesn't take too long)
We have one now, soon to be two, hanging from porch posts. Last year the porch was not screened but that did not stop them from feeding. I would not call it protected, just off the ground.
I boil the water but only 4 cups at a time, and put in one cup sugar.
Does anyone have Baltimore Orioles? Those orange feeders are so cute.
We rejoice over those, but Painted Buntings are even more rare.
We have had more fun watching birds this winter. Four pair of cardinals, all four types of woodpeckers, and so many others I gave up trying to ID them all.
We've had hummingbirds since shortly after St. Patrick's Day. I put out feeders, right now only one, but work up to about 6. At the height of the season, we're refilling the feeders almost daily; it'll sound like a fighter squadron out there!
Thanks for the info on sugar syrup. I think I made it to sweet - I was concerned the dogs would scare them- the area I would see them best is also the area I allow the dogs. The other side is in full morning sun- shouldn't the feeder be in the shade? I worry about the syrup spoiling and making them sick. I have a lot of flowers in the works this year in hopes of attracting them.
I only fill my feeders about 1/3 full because of the heat .. I make up a large batch and store it in 2ltr bottles in the fridge .. you don't need to warm it up when you fill the feeders as they actually seem to like the cold! The ratio for nectar is 4 to 1 aka 4 cups water to 1 cup sugar.
Same with us to begin, we only fill the feeders part way until they get going. Then they drink so much we fill them up. In the heat they can only go a few days. We have ours on the west side up against the house. They get very little sun.
I was definitely making the sugar to sweet. We have a large tree outside my kitchen window, its on the southside but it should be high enough to stay shaded. I've put the feeders on different branches- don't they fight? Guess only time will tell if they like my yard
Cornish,
I found this site particularly helpful
http://hummingbirds.net/feeders.html
Rednyr -thanks for the site. I do follow his advice on cleaning and syrup changing but I did make the syrup to sweet. In the past hung the feeders on a hook pole but this year have hung them higher in hopes the dogs won't scare them away. I can only hope.
We have what looks like a pair, feeding together on this one feeder.
Picture this. The feeder is on the left corner of the screened porch, but the male was trying to get to it by flying through the porch. He did not see the screen. As dh watched, the little guy flew into the screen and his bill got stuck in the screen. Dh was prepared to run out there and rescue him by pushing his beak back through the screen. Guess it is a good thing these little guys can fly backward, because that's what he did.
Bet he won't do that anymore.
I had a juvenile that followed me around last year trying to stick his beak in my ear and actually managed it once. He was "special". Hopefully he didn't last long enough to enter the gene pool.
So, I'm gardening last night right before dusk. My husband comes out and opens the screen door to talk to me. Next thing you know, there is a hummingbird stuck in the screen door next to his head! The hummingbird escaped in a second or two, but it was a bit of a surprise!
What amazing stories. If they are in Seabrook and Summerville maybe they'll stop over here in W. Ashley.
Well still no hummers and I have had the feeders out for two weeks- but I do have big green lizzards feeding. This big guy climbs down the chain and drinks - tried to get a picture but it was shy. Will post if it holds still long enough.
I saw one a few weeks ago but none since.
I'm having a hummingbird war going on right now, they seem to like the time right before or after it rains. One bossy bird is going from one feeder to the next chasing the others away, they of course, just move to the next feeder.
Sheesh, thank goodness I previewed my post before I sent. It sounded like I'd been speaking English for about two weeks.
I wonder if the storms around here are keeping them away?
Well I'm happy to report I'm seeing them regularly throughout the day now.
This is the view out my window where the laptop sits. A little guy has been feeding regularly here for the past couple of days. He is tiny . I will try to get fotos, but need a better camera, for sure. Maybe I will buy dh another one for his birthday... ha ha ha
When I shoot hummingbirds, I dial the camera to "sports shots". Works really well.
good tip... thanks
Put my feeder out last week and imagined that the water level was going down, but I think I was just imagining things.
I am having a "debate" of sorts with an online acquaintance about the "proper" way to prepare the sugar water.
I have always read the 4 to 1 ratio, but I have also read that the water must be boiled first and without the sugar - and then the sugar added to the boiled water after it is removed from the heat. This supposed to be for some health reason due to some chemical reaction (?!) the sugar has to being heated?
Anything definitive about this?
Boiling is not necessary and the ratio is correct .. 1 cup of water to 1/4 cup of sugar. I make enough to fit into a 2 ltr bottle, 8 cups of water to 2 cups of sugar and keep it in the fridge. I do heat up the water to help get the sugar in solution but don't boil it.
Water was being boiled because of the bacterial build up in the feeders .. as it turned out, it wasn't the sugar or the water causing the growth, but the hummingbird beaks are responsible for introducing bacteria to the feeders.
I looked at it further just now. Don't see any mention of it but remembered reading something possibly about the sugar undergoing chemical change in the heating process.
It's not mentioned at all on hummingbirds.net which is the site Audubon referred me to - so it must not be an issue!
My feeder is due for a change, though, so I'll get right on it. I have to dig for my 2nd feeder and get it up too. The salvias are getting ready to bloom, so I'm ready!!!
All you are making is something called "simple syrup". I'm thinking you might be referring to Aspartame sweetner, when boiled it turns into methyl alcohol.
Yikes!
No, I know better than to put it in a hummer feeder, but is that why Diet Coke is supposed to be so bad for ME?!!!
A.
Aspartame is very bad stuff all around. For some people it's just plain poison. One of the side affects is it stimulates your appetite!
Go to any search engine and type in aspartame - you'll find enough information good an bad to allow you to make up your own mind. If you type in 'aspartame history' you'll get a real eye opener.
The bottom line is that boiling/heat sugar does not change it's chemical constituents.
and we always seem to have simple syrup on hand X - goes well with the mint from the garden and oh perhaps a shot or two of rum LOL hey the birds aren't the only ones to enjoy my labor :)
