Hoping for hummingbirds
I have been waiting for the hummingbirds to arrive.
Hummingbirds, I think, are the ultimate blessing from nature on a gardener's efforts.
My birdbaths look like the neighborhood baby pool. And the butterflies are in danger of bumping into each other.
But I have had only the rare hummingbird stop by.
I have planted this spring with hummingbirds in mind. They have no sense of smell, but are attracted to bright color. And they are such ravenous eaters that it is estimated that no new source of food will go uninvestigated by hummingbirds for long.
Since hummingbirds feed by sight on regularly-followed routes - called traplining - their inquisitive nature will quickly lead them to investigate any possible new source of food.
Hummingbirds like more than nectar. They love insects, too. So I am careful not to use any chemicals that will eliminate that food source, or contaminate it.
I also bumped up my efforts to attract hummers this spring with the purchase of some lovely, antique-looking hummingbird feeders. A great improvement over the ubiquitous red and green plastic ones, I think.
At least, I tell myself, if I don't have the hummingbirds to look at, I have the pretty feeders.
Comments
Beautiful feeders.
Posted by: NotableM | June 29, 2010 8:14 AM
WE had the same problem until a few years ago,our chemical engineering daughter found a formula online to make to attract the birds, even in our cheapo-looking planters. The commercial food does not work well for all and not for us, even though we live in woods (hummers like some hiding spaces). The formula, distillled water, sugar and a pinch of a potassium salt not table salt, is easy to make and keep refrigerated. Did it work? Within ten minutes of placing the liquid, we honestly had hmmers at the feeder and have had them every year since. As an aside, my daughter wrote about this porject and how happy it made her mom for her college admissions essay.
Posted by: Glenda LeGendre | June 30, 2010 11:15 AM