Learn How Easy and Inexpensive Feeding Hummingbirds Can Be!
Rob Huff
One of the most interesting birds around is the hummingbird. There is just nothing else like watching the tiny creature zip around your yard and find hummingbird food. The little bird can zip across the yard, buzz your ear and fly away before you can even spot it! Keeping a regular hummingbird visitor in your yard is fun and easy to do, just provide a little hummingbird food.
Adding natural sources of hummingbird food to your yard is the best way to attract hummingbirds. Add a few hummingbird feeders to your garden and you can have hummingbirds near your home from spring until fall. Natural sources of hummer food are really easy to set up and maintain. These plants not only attract hummingbirds but they will also make your yard more attractive. Most flowers that attract hummers are red and very attractive.
Natural Foods for Hummingbirds
Hummingbird nectar is sipped from flowers, usually red ones. Petunias, fuchsia, red columbine , trumpet vine and red bee balm are just a few plants that will attract your winged friends. The plants simply need sun and water to grow and the birds will find them on their own. Tiny flying insects are another natural food source for hummingbirds.
"Artificial" Hummingbird Food
You can attract hummingbirds even if you don't have a yard. If you live in an apartment, a condo or even in the city don't worry, you can still attract hummingbirds. Hanging flower baskets do a great job at attracting hummingbirds in small spaces. Hummingbirds can also be attracted using hummingbird feeders. They come in many designs, colors and sizes. They will easily hang under your eaves, on windowsills or even right on a window.
The color and the style of the feeder is what attracts the bird. Any feeder with red or dark pink parts gets the attention of the hummingbird. Your hummingbird feeder can be round, oval, glass, plastic or even multi-colored, but it will need nectar inside to get the birds to return.
Hummingbird Bird Feeders
Hummingbird feeders are available in two styles - bottle and dish. Bottle feeders are upside down glass or plastic bottles fitted with feeding tubes extending from the bottom. Many bottle feeders feature a red plastic flower to help attract hummingbirds. You may also find bottle feeders that have bee-guards on the feeding ports to stop flying insects from invading your feeder. Hanging your bottle feeder out of direct sunlight may keep it from leaking. Leaking is caused when the sugar water gets too hot and expands.
Some dish style hummingbird feeders are made out of plastic others are made out of blown glass. The plastic feeders are basically a dish with a cover. The cover has multiple feeding ports built in. The feeding ports are usually shaped like flowers. Having feeding ports on top helps to discourage flying insects from invading your feeder. The blown glass feeders are usually ball shaped with several feeding ports on top. They are often beautiful pieces of art. Many dish feeders include a storage bottle above the dish to decrease the number of times it has to be filled. I think the dish style feeders work better than the bottle style.
Hummingbird Nectar Recipe
Making your own hummingbird nectar is easy. The only thing you need to remember is four parts water, one part sugar. You can make as much as you need just follow the 4 to 1 formula. Some people say that a stronger ratio of 4 parts water and 2 parts sugar will attract hummingbirds faster to a new hummingbird feeder location.
The nectar mixture does not need to be boiled but boiling it will help blend the mixture. After boiling make sure the nectar cools completely before serving. There is no need to add red food dye to the mixture. If you have trouble attracting hummingbirds try tying red strips of cloth to your feeder. The red color will attract hummers fast. If you make more than you can use at one time store any excess hummingbird food in your refrigerator. It should keep for up to two weeks if kept cold.
Hummingbirds will visit your hummingbird feeders into the fall. Many of the hummers you see at your feeders in the fall are migrating from locations farther north. The nourishment they receive from your feeders will provide the energy needed for the long flight to their winter home.
The effort you put into attracting hummingbirds will be rewarded for years to come. Studies have proved that hummingbirds will come back to the same feeding grounds from year to year.
About the Author:
If you enjoy feeding hummingbirds I want help you attract more of them. Using plants with hummingbird feeders will bring these beautiful birds flocking to your garden. Just apply these easy to follow tips.
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