See How Feeding Hummingbirds Can Give You an Up Close View! | Gardening

By RobHuff
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I consider hummingbirds to be the most interesting of all wild birds. I love watching them as they dart around the yard looking for hummingbird food and water. Hummers can fly so fast from one side of your yard to the other that they are hard to follow. Making sure that hummingbirds are regular visitors to your yard is easy, just supply a food source.

You can bring even more hummingbirds in to your yard by planting 'natural' sources of hummingbird food in your landscaping in addition to hanging hummingbird feeders. Natural sources of hummingbird nectar may be as easy to maintain as the bird feeders you hang up! Besides providing nourishment to the birds, your yard will become a treasure to look at since hummingbirds prefer some of the prettiest and most colorful species of flowers.

Natural Foods for Hummingbirds

Nectar is the main food source for hummingbirds. They find nectar in flowers. Hummingbirds seem to be attracted to red flowers more than other colors. I have used scarlet salvia, cardinal flower, red bee balm and coral bells with great success. I prefer perennials to annuals as they come back year after year providing a reliable natural food source for hummingbirds. Hummingbirds supplement their diet with tiny flying insects.

"Artificial" Hummingbird Food

You don't need a large yard to attract hummingbirds, in fact you don't need a yard at all. Whether you live in a condo, an apartment or in the city you can attract hummingbirds. Hanging flower baskets will attract hummingbirds and they don't require a lot of space. You can also use hummingbird feeders in small spaces. They are available in many sizes and shapes. You can hang them from windowsills, under your eaves or even attach them to a window.

When using hummingbird feeders look for ones that have red coloring on them. Hummingbirds are attracted to the color red. Hummingbird feeders come in many shapes and sizes but that is more a personal preference. The hummingbirds only care about the nectar inside.

Hummingbird Bird Feeders

Hummingbird feeders come in two basic styles, dish and bottle. The bottle style hummingbird feeder is usually a glass or plastic bottle turned upside down, sending the nectar down a tube. They often include red plastic flowers and bee-guards (little plastic screens that keep insects away from the sugar solution) on the feeding port. One downside to this style hummingbird feeder is that they tend to leak. When hanging in sunlight the liquid stored in the bottle feeder warms and expands. The expansion forces small amounts of nectar out the feeding tube.

When shopping for dish style hummingbird feeders you will find some made out of plastic. The other style is made from blown glass. These feeders are beautiful pieces of art that will add a touch of class to your bird feeding station. Plastic dish feeders consist of a dish to hold the nectar and a cover with multiple feeding ports. The feeding ports are usually shaped like flowers to attract hummingbirds. The topside feeding ports are not appealing to flying insects, as they cannot reach the nectar inside. I have tried both styles of hummingbird feeders and I think the dish style works the best.

Hummingbird Food Recipe

Hummingbird nectar is easy to make. It is a simple ratio of four parts water blended with one part sugar. You can make all the nectar you want as long as you stick to the ratio. If you are putting out your first hummingbird feeder or placing one in a new spot you may want to try a stronger mixture of four parts water to 2 parts sugar. This is said to attract hummers faster.

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.

Attracting hummingbirds gets easier each year. Studies have shown the hummers return to reliable food sources year after 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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