Have
you ever seen a hummingbird pause for a moment to sip nectar from
a flower or feeder? The tiny bird's wings beat so fast that they
are just a blur to human eyes; the vibrant plumage on the rest of
the bird, however, makes it impossible to look away. It recalls
shiny Chinese lacquer painting or jewelry set with brilliant gemstones.
On
the east coast of North America, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird reigns.
Of about eight species that are common in North America, this is
the only one that normally migrates up the eastern side of the continent.
But easterners are not deprived: the Ruby-throated Hummingbird is
as striking as any, and once you are familiar with it, you will
notice immediately if you have a rare visit from another species.
Along the west coast, you are more
likely to see Anna's Hummingbird, which remains year-round, and
in western mountainous regions, you may see Black-Chinned Hummingbirds,
or Broad-tailed Hummingbirds. Other species are common in more specific
localities. (The internet site, http://www.hummingbirds.net/, has
pictures of the North American species, and lots of other information
about hummingbirds.)
Most
North American hummingbirds migrate south in winter, but they are
back at the northern limits of their range, in Canada, by the end
of May. Hummingbirds are even occasionally seen in Alaska. They
can be seen visiting flower gardens well into the fall. Everywhere,
these high-energy birds search busily for food - the sweet nectar
of flower blossoms.
It's
easy to brighten up your life by attracting hummingbirds with either
feeders, strategically hung where the birds will see them, or flowers
grown in beds or patio containers. If you don't have a garden, you
can hang a feeder outside a window or on an outdoor patio railing.
All you have to do is keep the feeder filled with fresh nectar,
and then keep your eyes open for the arrival of a dainty hummingbird.
In
hummingbird feeders and flowers, the best choices are red: hummingbirds
love red and are attracted to almost anything that color. For this
reason, recipes often recommend adding red food coloring to the
nectar in a feeder, but food coloring is not good for the birds,
and it is better to have a feeder with some red parts, or to tie
a red ribbon above the feeder as an attractant. Once they know where
the feeder is, hummingbirds will return again and again, even if
you remove the ribbon.
Make
your own hummingbird nectar by mixing a cup of white sugar with
four cups of water and then bringing it to the boil for just a minute
or two. When it is cool, fill the feeder and refrigerate any extra.
Change the nectar in the feeder at least once a week, and twice
each week when the weather is warm: the solution will spoil in the
heat.
Don't
use honey, artificial sweetener, or any other substitute for white
sugar in this recipe - artificial sweetener will not provide a hummingbird
with any energy, and honey, though it might seem more natural, is
not good for hummingbirds.
The
flowers of many plants will attract hummingbirds and flowers that
are quite easy to grow in containers are some of the best. Scarlet
runner beans and nasturtiums are usually generous with both growth
and bloom, and both do well in containers (provide some support
for the beans, which will climb above your head if there's something
to climb up).
Again,
when it comes to flowers, red is the best choice - scarlet runners
are the prize here too - but hummingbirds will eagerly visit flowers
of other colors as well. Nasturtiums attract them; morning glory
and impatiens are popular too. A perennial honeysuckle vine almost
guarantees success. If you plant a variety of flowers that come
into bloom at different times, so that the blossoms in your garden
span the summer, hummingbirds have a good reason to keep coming
back. A well-maintained feeder has the same effect.
Hummingbirds are fascinating to watch, and a treasure to share with
young children, who may never have seen a real hummingbird up close.
Those popular flowers - scarlet runners, nasturtiums and impatiens
- are easy and fun to grow with little helpers. A feeder placed
outside a big window is perfect for viewing - children can watch
the birds without frightening them away.
As
the weather in the fall turns cooler, most hummingbirds head south,
but they linger long into the fall: the last of the Ruby-throateds
won't leave Canada until October or November, so the eastern United
States will enjoy them even later than that. Leave your feeder up
until you're sure they've all gone. In areas where hummingbirds
stay all year round, of course, the show never ends.
Baby humingbirds are fed a regurgitated mixture of insects and nectar that their mother has collected.
With her long bill, she inserts food directly into their stomachs.
Many thanks.