Ruby-throated Hummingbirds

I have had Hummingbirds on the brain the past few days. First because Dan at Wild Birds Unlimited in Corning gave us a beautiful feeder for our Bag the Blues fundraiser coming up (May 9th- call Tanglewood for tickets!) and second because someone asked me when to expect to see Hummingbirds again. They should be here soon, if not already. They are a true harbinger of spring and summer. Most Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (the only kind of Hummingbird we have around here) winter between southern Mexico and northern Panama and make their way up to our neck of the woods in late April.

I don't know anyone who doesn't like Hummingbirds and look forward to their return from the tropics. What's not to like? They are really small, iridescent green, the males have bright red throats, and their wingbeats are so fast that you can't even see their wings when they are hovering! The wings beat 78 times/second when just flying around and 200 times/second when they are diving as a display to attract females. They are the smallest birds around and their eggs reflect that; they are 1/2the size of a jellybean!

Attracting Hummingbirds is pretty easy, you need a feeder, regular sugar and water. The feeder should be one that you can clean easily (clean every few days before mold forms) and it should have some red on it of course. Perches aren't necessary, but if you do have perches the Hummers will stop and use them and give you a better look. As for the food, go with simple. Take white table sugar (not honey, not artificial sweeteners) and mix it with tap water on the stovetop until it boils (the water should be "clear" when the sugar dissolves), cool it down in the refrigerator, funnel it into the feeder, and that's it. The official formula is 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. If you are trying to attract them early on you can add a bit more sugar, but once you've got them the 1:4 ratio is the best. Some people think that the water needs to be red, it doesn't. The verdict is still out on whether the red dye is bad for the birds, so please just skip it. And you don't need to buy the more expensive mixes either, white sugar from your cupboard works great.

If you are really into the little guys consider putting up more than one feeder (they tend to be very territorial about their food sources). You can even plant flowers to attract them. Consider Bee Balm, Bleeding Heart, Cardinal Flower, Foxglove, Hollyhocks, Petunia, Columbine, Zinnia, Dahlia, Geranium, Sweet William, Honeysuckle, Fuchia and Phlox (this is not a comprehensive list but all are easy to find around here).

Soon they will be here and soon we will be seeing one warm day after another- enjoy!