24th May 2009

The hummingbirds were back before I was back and they were rather demanding and upset that the hummingbird feeder was not in the right spot a few weeks ago. I went out to wait for company to arrive and I took my camera out to see if I could get some pics of them at the feeder. Instead, there was a lovely little gal who was checking out my Bleeding Heart which just started to bloom. She was kind and let me sit down next to her to take some photos. I am so happy they came out as I had hoped.

I have at least three kinds of hummingbirds this year and mostly of the Calliope species. The Calliope likes the mountains and has been seen to nest as far up as 11,000 feet above sea level.

I never use red food colouring in my hummingbird feeders. They know where they are (and in this case, knew it was missing until I put it back up for the summer) and I mix it 1 cup of sugar to 4 cups of hot water to dissolve the sugar. Last year, I could put my fingers by the hummingbird feeder and they would land on my fingers.

The Calliope hummingbird is North America's smallest bird. Their breeding habitat is open shrubby areas, usually at higher altitudes, in western North America from southern British Columbia and Alberta south to Colorado and southern California. The female builds an open cup nest in a conifer under an overhanging branch. While collecting nectar, they also assist in plant pollination. This bird was named after the Greek muse Calliope. The genus name means "little star".

One day when I am all settled again, I want to plant a hummingbird garden. It is said that there is not 10 meteres not investigated in North America by hummingbirds, (I am presuming this is not the very very northern parts).

Feeding Hummingbirds
Keep your feeders CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN!!!!! Putting out a feeders to attract hummingbirds, who need to feed frequently, especially during migration, is a very popular activity. However, using the wrong kinds of sugar solutions or leaving moldy feeders out can kill hummingbirds and their babies.

Perfect Hummingbird Food Recipe

One part sugar to four parts water - stir until sugar is dissolved.
Measure examples:

One cup of sugar to four cups of water
3/4 cup sugar to 3 cups water
1/2 cup sugar to 2 cups of water.

Bring solution to a boil to kill bacteria and slow spoilage - allow to cool.

Fill feeders just enough for a day or two of use. Extra solution may be
refrigerated if used within one week.

If feeders are cleaned and filled with freshly-made, hot water, sugar solution every day, then it may not be necessary to bring the solution to a boil. If you plan to store solution for two or more days, boiling is a must. Adding red food-dye coloring is unnecessary. The red on a feeder i enough to attract hummers. DO NOT USE HONEY as this can kill hummingbirds.

When to stop feeding: Birds migrate based on instinct, weather and resource availability. Since the sugar water is a supplemental food and NOT the main food source for hummingbirds, they will leave when the insect population drops below what they need to survive. Do not leave hummingbird feeders up when during hard freezes unless they are heated (use summer cleaning regimen for warmed feeders with 1-2 days maximum before changing nectar and cleaning feeder). If you still have hummingbirds coming to your feeder then by all means keep feeding them.