From Just One Hummingbird

Several years ago I had the opportunity to have a tiny Ruby Throated Hummingbird land on my hand and rest for a minute. Whether the Humming Bird was confused or just comfortable with my presence, I don’t know. Either way, I was totally amazed. It was the beginning of a lifelong fascination with the little creatures.

Since then, like many other Hummingbird enthusiasts, I anxiously await their return every Spring and prepare my yard to invite them in. While to some it may seem like a lot of work, to others it’s a simple labor of love. Preparation is really nothing more than making sure they have enough to eat and making sure that they see it.

While I do have a few Hummingbird feeders placed throughout my yard, I prefer to watch them lick from real flowers so I plant a lot of them. It’s interesting to try and watch their actions. While it appears that the small birds are sipping the nectar, they actually dip their tongue into the throat of the flower for a meal. It’s hard to see though as they’re moving so incredibly fast.

Hummingbirds have virtually no sense of smell so they rely on color to guide them to dinner. Bright flowers and especially red flowers will get their attention. I like to keep several small flower masses in my yard close to the house. And when possible, I’ll create areas like this in landscaping and garden design ideas that I create for clients. It’s a wonderful way to add nature and entertainment to a landscape or garden.

For Hummingbird lovers restricted to areas such as small, roof, and balcony gardens where flower beds and basic landscaping isn’t an option, feeders provide the solution. Since the birds are so attracted to red, most feeders are colored red.

Often you’ll see the solution in the feeders colored red but it’s best that you don’t add the red food coloring. It’s not natural and can harm the small creatures. The red color of the feeders is enough to get their attention. To fill them, use one part sugar to four parts water as the feeding solution. Never use substitutes such as honey.

Keep your hummingbird feeders clean. The environment and sugar inside them is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria and fungus which can cause problems for the birds. At least, clean them before every filling and don’t use soap. When you can, give them a more thorough cleaning and rinse them well.

Attracting and enjoying Hummingbirds is simple. I have probably a hundred that visit my yard every summer. And while the law of probability says that I’ll never have one land on my hand again, I still extend the invitation every time one flies by.

Written by Steve Boulden. Steve is the creator of The Landscape Site.com which offers free project plans, advice, picture galleries, and free landscaping ideas to do it yourselfers and homeowners.