Hummingbirds Arriving Soon

Male ruby-throated hummingbird

 I haven't had a lot of luck with hummingbirds the last few years, but I get a few, so I make sure there is always a feeder with fresh nectar available.

There have been reports of hummingbirds in Austin, so they should be arriving here before too much longer. That means it is time to get out your feeders and get them cleaned up.

The picture to the left shows a common bottle-type feeder, which is fairly inexpensive.  As I rule I don't recommend them as they are difficult to clean. I had one of these and even with a bottle brush, I couldn't reach all the corners of the nectar bottle. 

A couple of things about feeders. The birds don't care if they are red. Yes, this red and yellow feeder stands out, but somehow, the hummingbirds can tell if the feeder contains the correct percentage of sugar and the nectar is fresh. To prevent ants, get a feeder with an ant moat and keep it full. To prevent bees and wasps, don't fill the feeder all the way or get one with extruders. Looking at the picture above, you can see it has deep flowers. That is intended to discourage bees and wasps, since hummingbirds have longer tongues. I personally prefer an flat feeder that is kept half full. 

Flowers are better than a feeder any day, but it never hurts to have some backup, since we tend to get some pretty hot, dry weather in the summer.

Another recommendation is not to buy nectar at the store. Plain old water and sugar is fine (and less expensive). (DO NOT use honey--this can be deadly to hummingbirds). Tap water is okay, although I do use filtered tap water. You don't have to boil the water. Hot water does make it easier to dissolve the sugar though. Use 4 parts water and one part table sugar (1 c water and 1/4 c sugar). Once the sugar is dissolved, you are ready to go. If you boil the water, let the nectar cool first before putting out the feeder. I can't imagine a hummingbird trying to drink hot sugar water, but you could be scalded if you bobble the feeder when hanging it up.

Keep your feeders clean. Bacteria grows quickly in the warm weather. I clean mine out every other day at a minimum. If you see the water getting cloudy, you definitely need to change it.

I tend to see my hummingbirds more in the early morning and at dusk. I know if the morning they are desperate to tank up. They expend a lot of energy and after several hours of no food, they are in a hurry to find food. I imagine that's why I see them just before their bedtime as well.

I hope you enjoy some hummingbirds this season.

Good birding!