SENIOR LADY: HUMMINGBIRD WATCHING!

 

I love spring, because I know the hummingbirds 

will be arriving soon. During the month of April,

I go on my  porch several times each day. I am 

hoping to see a hummingbird hovering nearby.

They didn't seem to arrive in my neighborhood 

until middle of April. Last year, I was sitting

on my porch talking on the phone. Suddenly,

a hummingbird was fluttering in my face.

I was so startled that I almost dropped my

phone. My friend asked me why was I making 

noises. She laughed loudly when I said, I came

 face-to-face with a hummingbird.  I invited her

to sit on my porch one afternoon. She would

be entertained by a hummingbird air show.

I have learned a lot about caring for my

friends the hummingbirds. I have been 

feeding them for about fifteen years.

Some of my knowledge was through 

trial and error.  I also followed some

advice from Audubon Society and

online hummingbird fanatics.

This year, I put my hummingbird feeder

out in the beginning of April. I had visits

to my feeder earlier than last year. This 

was a good thing, since I didn't want a 

hummingbird fluttering in my face again.  

I discovered that hummingbirds don't 

like for the feeder to get empty. They

won't drink the sugar water if bugs

get inside the feeder. Bugs easily get 

inside certain types of feeders. I had

to buy and experiment with different 

types of feeders.  A glass pinch-waist

feeder with a moat on top worked the

 best. This feeder also had four red and

 yellow feeding ports and perches. The 

ants and bees didn't get in the feeder.

It had a built-in ant moat and bee guard.

The hummingbirds didn't seem to fight 

too much when they had several ports

and perches to drink from.  

Another lesson was, always replenish 

the sugar water nectar when the shade 

was on my porch. The temp was cooler. 

The nectar didn't spoil as quickly. I also

changed the nectar more often  if the temp 

was in high eighties and nineties.  I kept a 

recycled Gelato container filled with the

nectar in my fridge. I have observed several

 colorful hummingbirds drinking nectar in

the afternoon.  Therefore,  my nectar only lasts 

about two days. 

My method of preparation for hummingbird

nectar recipe has changed over the years. Our

 local water quality is not good. Therefore,

 I buy bottled water for drinking. I do use 

boiled water for my hummingbird nectar.

I stopped using the traditional nectar recipe

( 8 oz water & 1/4 cup white sugar). My visits

from the hummingbirds increased with:

8 oz water & 1/3 cup white sugar

I also noticed more types of hummingbirds 

with this recipe. There are grey, ruby throat,

green and white, and all green colored

hummingbirds drinking from my feeder.

I recently read online that some types of

hummingbirds occasionally stop by during

the winter in North and South Carolina.

I may start leaving my feeder out during 

the winter months just in case one stops by. 

I would be thrilled to see a stray hummingbird 

after October. I envy hummingbird lovers who

live in Florida and California. They can enjoy

seeing hummingbirds feed, play, and fight all

year long.