It wasn’t too long ago, (maybe a month), I dusted off my hummingbird feeders and filled them with the hummingbird nectar recipe, and hung them out in hopes of drawing in the migrating hummingbirds. I knew they would be back soon. Normally around here they are back by the first part of March so I normally prepare towards the middle of February.
Well for whatever reason March 15th flew by and no sign of a hummingbird. I kept checking the website with the hummingbird migration and it showed they were in my area. My husband told me they probably won’t stick around here because there was no flowering plants to draw them in before we came. I didn’t agree with that since there are wild flowers everywhere.
In case you haven’t already read somewhere else, you can make your own hummingbird nectar right at home. No need to go to the store and buy it if you have water and sugar.
Hummingbird Nectar Recipe
4 parts water to 1 part sugar. For example, if you have 1 cup of water use a 1/4 cup of sugar. Use boiled water and add the sugar. Once the mixture has cooled off add it to your feeders.
The mixture in the store has a red dye in it; no need for you to add this. The hummingbirds will drink the mixture without it and never know the difference. The key to attracting them is the feeder you are using. All of my feeders either have a red top or a red base. The red attracts the little hummingbirds.
I have three hanging out now; one on my office window, one on the front porch, and one on the back porch. I change the sugar water every week to keep it fresh when the birds come to visit.
Well my patience was rewarded. On March 18th I had my first sighting on my office feeder.
- male hummingbird visits Fowl Visions
That was my first sighting and then yesterday, March 20th, I had noticed the hummingbird looking very possessive…
- possessive male hummingbird
And then I saw the reason why…Two of them!
- Fighting male hummingbirds
You can imagine my delight when I saw two! Now if I can just get them to stay and raise babies here. I will do my part to keep them in nectar for the season.
Here’s another picture I took yesterday. It was so windy here that the little birds had to hold on tight just to visit my birdfeeder…
I took alot more pictures but there is not enough room to add all that I enjoyed. The visiting birds to my feeders are devouring the sunflower seeds I am supplying. In the last three days it has been necessary to fill it up twice a day, and I have two feeding stations! No matter, I love to watch them anyway.
Tags: bird watching, hummingbirds
8 Responses to “Finally…The Hummingbirds Have Returned”
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- Things to Consider When Buying Humming bird Feeders | Fowl Visions
- A Host to the Hummingbirds | Fowl Visions
March 21st, 2009 at 8:12 pm
These are great shots of the hummer. I got a few yesterday and then some today, but they aren’t near this clear…
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March 22nd, 2009 at 7:11 am
I too have had my first visitor about 10 days ago. I’ve noticed thatthis year and last that the males seem to arrive first with the females following about 1-2 weeks later. Ayone elso notice this?
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March 22nd, 2009 at 9:28 am
Just a word of causion, as it becomes summer and the temperatures are hotter you may need to change your nectar solution more often, about every 2-3 days to prevent fermentation. You may also find that as the number of birds visiting your feeder increases, your feeder may empty rather quickly and the solution won’t have a chance to spoil. Either way, be sure and clean the feeder each time you fill it up.
Zoe Ann Hindss last blog post..Texas’ Birdwatching Offers Diversity
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March 23rd, 2009 at 12:02 am
I would love to know the website wehre you track the migration!. I have never had hummingbirds here, but I have also never had feeders, either. My Grandmohter loved Hummingbirds and ALWAYS had feeders in the bay window. Is it safe to attract hummingbirds when you have cats? I have lots of ferals here that I feed. No match for a chicken, but somehow I think a hummingbird might not fare as well….
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March 23rd, 2009 at 4:53 am
Samantha, The web address of the site that tracks the migration of the hummingbird each year is http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html. I find it very useful early in the year when awaiting the arrival of the little birds. As far as the safety of feeding hummingbirds with cats, I would think as long as the feeder is not accessible to the cats you would be okay to hang out feeders.
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April 13th, 2010 at 11:53 am
I like watching hummingbird fights. They’re so territorial around feeders! What kind of feeder do you use? It looks like one of those Perky-Pet feeders. Have you seen their Top Fill feeders yet? They’re supposed to be real easy to fill and clean.
Here’s a demo I found that shows how they work:
http://www.topfillfeeders.com
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