For Almost 25 Years I Lived In The Same House In Ohio
I Did Everything That I Could To Draw Hummingbirds Into My Yard
I Never Saw One Hummingbird
Then I Met Bobbie And We Moved To Indiana
The Summer Of 2001
Was The First Full Summer That Bobbie, Rasky And I Spent In Indiana
We Put Up Two Hummingbird Feeders In A Tree In The Front Yard
Within Minutes We Had At Least Four Different Varieties Visiting Our Feeders
Happily We Put Up Even More Feeders
Sometimes We Can Stand Still Under The Feeders And The Hummingbirds Will Still Fly Up And Feed With Us Standing There
You Can Even Hear Their Wings Beating
At Times We Let A Water Hose Spray Into The Air And Watch The Hummingbirds Hover In The Mist Of The Water
We Have At Least Four Different Types Of Hummingbirds Visiting Us
Some Times There Are So Many Of Them That Little War Zones Develope As They Battle One Another For Territory
These Beautiful Little Creatures Never Cease To Amaze Us
This Small Creature Is Fascinating To Sit And Watch
They Compliment The Beautiful Finches That Feed In The Same Tree
Ah Yes!!!
Living In The Country Has Its Advantages
Hummingbird Food Recipe
Combine 4 Parts Water And 1 Part Sugar
Bring To A Boil
Cool
Fill Hummingbird Feeder With Solution
Never Use Honey Or Artificial Sweeteners!
Honey Ferments Easily And Can Cause Sores In The Hummingbirds Mouth
Artificial Sweeteners Have No Food Value
Do Not Use Red Food Coloring In Your Solution
This Could Be Harmful To Your Hummingbirds
Change The Nectar Every 3 Days
Change More Frequently In Hot Weather
TIP
Change The Solution Often
If It Is Left For Too Long In The Feeder
It Will Become Moldy
When Cleaning The Feeder Before Refilling
Add A Drop Or Two Of Bleach
Rinse Well
The Bleach Will Clean Away The Mold And Act As A Disinfectant
Create A Hummingbird Garden
Attract Hummingbirds With Flowers That Are
Red
Pink
Orange
Or Flowers That Are Tubular In Shape
Some Common Flowers That Attract Hummingbirds Are
Lantana
Columbine
And Petunia
Hummingbirds Are Very Territorial
They Don't Like To Share Nectar With Other Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds Are Very Agressive
They Will Drive Away Bees
Wasps
Butterflies
And Other Much Larger Birds
Make Sure Any Feeders And Birdbaths Are Out Of The Reach Of Cats
Cats Are Extremely Proficient Hunters
They Hunt Whether They Are Hungry Or Not
You Also Should Minimize Your Use Of Pesticides
Pesticides Can Harm The Flowers Hummingbirds Feed On
Pesticides Can Harm The Hummingbirds Themselves
Water
In Addition To Drinking
Hummingbirds Need Water To Bathe With
Clean Feathers Help With The Insulation Of The Bird And Flight Performance
Hummingbirds Love To Fly Through Misters
They Love To Bathe On Leaves That Have Been Misted
The Wet Leaves Glisten In The Sun Attracting The Hummingbirds To Them
The Best Way To Attract Hummingbirds With Water
Is To Set Up A Mister Against A Tree Or Shrub Branch
Hummingbird Facts
The Hummingbird Is The World's Smallest Bird
Hummingbirds Typically Live For Five Years
Male Hummingbirds Are More Colorful Than Female Hummingbirds
But Female Hummingbirds Are Relatively Colorful
Hummingbirds Do Not Have A Sense Of Smell
They Locate Their Food By Eyesight
Nectar Is The Hummingbird's Favorite Food
However
They Will Also Eat Insects And Tree Sap
Hummingbirds Will Sometimes Follow A Woodpecker From One Tree To Another
They Will Sip Sap Through The Holes Left By The Woodpecker
Hummingbirds Usually Feed Every Ten Minutes Throughout The Day
One Hummingbird May Visit Up To 1,000 Flowers Per Day
Hummingbirds Have Split Tongues
Which They Fold Into A Tube When Feeding
The Hummingbird Can Fly Forward
Backward
Straight Up
Straight Down
And Upside Down
Normal Flight Speed For A Hummingbird Is 25 To 30 Mph
But Hummingbirds Can Dive At Speeds Of Up To 60 Mph
During Migration
A Hummingbird May Fly 500 Miles Non-Stop Across The Gulf Of Mexico
While Migrating, Hummingbirds Live On Fat Reserves Stored In Their Bodies
The Hummingbird's Nest Is Slightly Bigger Than A Walnut
The Hummingbird Weaves Its Nest From Pine Needles
Dry Flowers
Moss
Grass
And Lichen
The Outside Of The Nest Is Tough And Waterproof
The Hummingbird Uses Spiderwebs To Hold Its Nest Together
It Lines The Inside Of The Nest With Cobwebs And Feathers
The Hummingbird Lays Two White Eggs, Each The Size Of A Pea
Hummingbird Eggs Are So Small
That A Penny Would Completely Cover Three Of Them
The Usual Brood, However, Is Two Eggs
It Takes Hummingbird Eggs Two To 2 1/2 Weeks To Hatch
Hatchlings Remain In The Nest For About Three Weeks
Hummingbirds Produce One Brood Per Season
At One Tenth Of An Ounce
A Grown Hummingbird Weighs Less Than A Pencil
The Hummingbird's Heart Beats 1,260 Times Per Minute During The Day
But Slows To 50 Beats Per Minute At Night
The Hummingbird May Beat His Wings 75 Times Per Second
HummingBird Memories From Our Friends
I Did The Same When I Lived In Quincy On My 10 Acres, Rick
I Had 2 Feeders Off My Rear Porch About 10 Feet Apart
We Had At Least 3 Different Colonies
They Would Battle For Control Of The Feeders
One Day I Was Standing About 2 Feet From The One Feeder
I Was Being Very Still
After A Short While, One Very Pretty Little Guy Flew Into View
I Believed Him To Be The Leader Of The Bunch
He Stopped About A Foot From The Feeder
He Just Hovered And Watched Me For A Time
I Could See His Head Move To Get A Better Look
Then He Slowly And Cautiously Took A Sip..Not Landing
We Had The Type That They Could Land On The Feeder, If They Wished
He Left And Shortly Brought The Crew Back
Then Another Group Showed Up
Eventually I Had About 14-15 Hummingbirds Zooming Around My Head
They Were So Close That I Felt The Breeze From Their Wings
Or Maybe It Was An Actual Touch In My Hair
It Was Soooo Neat!!
They Were Right At Home With Me
I Stood Right There In Their Midst For Several Minutes
I Loved It!
Thanks For Sharing
Ed F.--Florida
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