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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