Hummingbirds

So I was recently dropping some stuff off at GoodWill and I decided to go in and poke around since I had a few spare minutes – a rarity in my life.  As one would expect I didn’t find much worth mentioning, other than a 30+ gallon aquarium for $10 (which I’ll save for another post) and a hummingbird feeder for $1… the reason for this post.

When I saw it I had flashbacks of when I was a kid watching the hummingbirds through our living room window (thanks mom, cool memory), and I figured that my little boys would also be fascinated by them so I bought it. The hummingbird feeder is a little cheap plastic one that you would normally see at some chain store for $6-$10. The hummingbirds discovered it two days after I put it up, and maybe sooner.

Within the first couple days after hanging the hummingbird feeder I noticed one in a nearby tree (hummingbirds have a distinct chirp). It was not the first time I had seen this hummingbird visiting my feeder, but he still didn’t trust me so he was waiting for me to step away from the feeder before approaching. I went to the patio door a few feet away and called my kids.  Both of my sons stood behind the glass door practically screeching with excitement when he flew up close.  Without a doubt worth the dollar.

I have had the feeder up for about a month and there are three to five different hummingbirds that visit it regularly at this point. I can tell because they are different sizes, some are males, some are females, and there are different types. There is at least one male Ruby-throated Hummingbird. I think one or two of them are female ruby-throated hummingbirds, but I haven’t identified the other type(s) yet. Almost all of them have lost their fear of me. They are bold enough to visit the feeder while I’m watering my pepper plants, which are in a hanging pot within arms reach of the hummingbird feeder (see pictures below).

When I first got the hummingbird feeder I searched the intertubes for info on what to fill it with. Turns out its easiest to make hummingbird food at home. I happened to have pure cane sugar, so that’s what I made the nectar with (instructions below), which gives it a golden brown color. I learned a few things along the way so I’m going to share that knowledge with you.  Here is what Google taught me “in a nutshell” (details below).

• How to Make Hummingbird Nectar

  I highly recommend that you read the extended Google research (below) before making your own hummingbird nectar.

  • Mix 4 parts water to 1 part pure sugar (ex: 1 full cup of water and 1/4 cup of sugar) in stove top pot.
  • Stir it (until all the sugar has dissolved), while you bring it to a boil.
  • After the sugar is dissolved and the water has reached the boiling point take it off the stove and let it cool.
  • Once the sugar water is room temperature fill the hummingbird feeder.
  • Hang it and you’re done.
• Hummingbird Feeder – Extended Google Research

  What is Hummingbird Nectar
  Hummingbird nectar is the same thing as hummingbird food – it’s just sugar water.  Yes, you can buy a bottle labeled “Hummingbird Nectar” from the store, but there is nothing special about the more expensive “nectar” from the store. Some of them advertise various flavors and vitamins, but everything I found online says it’s just bloated marketing. A few people that called themselves experts said those selling points might be beneficial in other applications, but they don’t do anything for hummingbirds so you might as well save the money and make the nectar at home. Making hummingbird nectar at home is easy, cheap, and only takes a few minutes, but before you get started I recommend reading the rest of this post to avoid some headache.

  Only Use Pure Natural Sugar
  Things like honey, molasses, brown sugar, and artificial sweeteners (ex: Equal, Sweet and Low, etc) do not make a solution suitable for hummingbirds and/or they quickly develop a hard-to-clean mold that can actually harm the hummingbirds. For that reason, and others, only use pure cane sugar or regular table sugar.

  Do Not Add Extra Sugar
  You may feel inclined to add extra sugar to make your nectar a little sweeter. Don’t do it. The ratio of water to sugar is 4 to 1 (ex: 1 full cup of water and 1/4 cup of sugar) because that is approximately the amount of sucrose found in natural nectar. It doesn’t have to be exact, but if you make the nectar too sweet its hard for the hummingbirds to digest it and if its not sweet enough then they wont return. Plus, a higher sugar to water ratio will cause your nectar to grow mold and bacteria and require more frequent cleaning.

  Water From the Kitchen Faucet
  You do not need to use purified water when making hummingbird nectar, but many people prefer to. If you do use tap water make sure you bring it to a boil when making it (instructions below) because that will ensure that many of the harsh chemicals used to purify tap water (ex: chlorine, chloride, etc) fully “gas off”, which means they convert to a gas and evaporate. It also kills any mold or yeast spores that may have been in the sugar, which is good for the birds and means the nectar will last longer.

  Do Not Add Red Food Dye
  There seems to be a lot of debate online about adding red food coloring to the nectar. Some people say that its unnatural and unhealthy for the hummingbirds. Other people say that may have been true in the past but most red food coloring made today is hummingbird safe, and hummingbirds are attracted to the color red. I personally don’t recommend it. Most hummingbird feeders already have red parts and even if yours doesn’t you can always tie a couple long red ribbons to it or hang it next to something red (ex: flowers). Plus, I found several things online that said that hummingbirds have no trouble discovering feeders even if they have no red at all. Since it doesn’t seem to be necessary and no one seems to have credible source for saying that its safe, why go through the extra effort when doing so could potentially give the birds cancer?

  Replace the Nectar Regularly
  Your hummingbird nectar will contaminate naturally. Yeasts will ferment the nectar and it will grow mold and bacteria, so the nectar will need to be replaced regularly. How regularly depends on how quickly it becomes contaminated, which is largely influenced by temperature (chart below).

  IMPORTANT NOTE: If the nectar starts getting cloudy its going bad, so clean the feeder and replace the nectar even if it happens sooner than indicated by the chart below.

  Highest Temp
  93+
  89-92
  85-88
  81-84
  76-80
  71-75
  70-

  Replace Every
  1 Day
  2 Days
  3 Days
  4 Days
  5 Days
  6 Days
  7 Days

  NOTE: I rinse mine in hot soapy water (no sponge or brush) every time I take it down to refill it, and that seems to be working just fine. I’ve had it for about a month and there are no signs of any type of contamination at all. I live in Phoenix Arizona, so even during January its been getting into the 80′s almost every day.

  Making Extra Nectar
  You can make large batches of nectar and store the extra in the refrigerator for about 7 days. Obviously this reduces the amount of effort it takes to maintain your hummingbird feeder.

  Bugs and Other Pests
  Leaky hummingbird feeders can attract pests (bees, ants, etc). The hummingbird feeder I have leaks a few drips almost every time the birds leave, and the ants were having a picnic under it before I moved it (for that reason). It’s now on the far side of my patio overhanging gravel. So far it hasn’t attracted any pests, and where its at now I don’t really care if it does.

• Tips and Advice

  Tip: Fill the Hummingbird Feeder Outside
  Reason: You can avoid the hassle of a sticky sugar water spill by filling the feeder outside.

  Tip: Don’t Overfill the Hummingbird Feeder
  Reason: The nectar will go bad and you will need to clean out the feeder when it does. When you clean the hummingbird feeder the excess nectar needs to be discarded. To avoid waste only put in as much nectar as the birds will eat before its time to clean it again (timetable above).

  Tip: Hang Your Hummingbird Feeder in the Shade
  Reason: Hanging the hummingbird feeder in the shade will slow the growth of contaminants, which means you won’t have to replace the nectar as often.

Hummingbird Pictures

These pictures were all taken from 3 to 5 feet from the feeder. There is one that tries to intimidate me if I’m that close to the feeder when (s)he arrives, but the others have all grown accustom to me. I’ve tried to capture more than one at the feeder at a time, but they’re busy playing so they don’t stay still long enough for the shutter to close (no joke).