Ha…you all have totally dirty minds, it could just be me, but I doubt it.
It is time for Hummers alright…
Hummingbirds that is…so tonight I got my feeders all cleaned out with a toothbrush and some hot soapy water, and made up the nectar.
I have been trying to get this done for over a week now, but I always get sidetracked. It took me a week to even get the feeders from the basement to the upstairs counter.
Making the nectar is the easy part. My recipe for nectar is simple:
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
I never use food coloring to make it red, it’s not necessary to attract the birds and it is not good for them at all. Boil the water, add the sugar and dissolve completely. Let it cool off and then fill up your feeders.
I have decided to get another feeder tomorrow…I have two, but one of them is on it’s last legs. And I have to fill it up every day with the number of hummers I have. I am getting the monster one :)
We keep my feeders on my back porch so we can sit outside and watch them, by the third or fourth week they are back, they are pretty used to us moving around and don’t even worry that we are out there.
Last year I had about 6 birds, and hopefully this year there will be a few more.
Here are a few interesting facts about hummingbirds:
- A hummingbird’s brain is 4.2% of its body weight, the largest proportion in the bird kingdom.
- Hummingbirds are very smart and they can remember every flower they have been to, and how long it will take a flower to refill.
- Hummingbirds can hear better than humans.
- Hummingbirds can see farther than humans.
- Hummingbirds have little to no sense of smell.
- A hummingbird will use its tongue to lap up nectar from flowers and feeders.
- A hummingbird’s tongue is grooved like the shape of a “W”.
- A hummingbird’s heart beats up to 1,260 times per minute.
- Hummingbirds have very weak feet and can barely walk. They prefer to fly.
- Hummingbirds can see ultraviolet light.
- Hummingbirds do not mate for life.
- Male hummingbirds do not help raise the young.
- Baby hummingbirds will remain in a nest for three weeks.
- Hummingbirds have an average life span of about 5 years.
- Hummingbirds can live for more than 10 years.
- The oldest recorded hummingbird was 12 years old.
- Despite their small size, hummingbirds are one of the most aggressive bird species and will regularly attack jays, crows and hawks that infringe on their territory.
- A hummingbird’s maximum forward flight speed is 30 miles per hour, though the birds can reach up to 60 miles per hour in a dive.
- The ruby-throated hummingbird flies 500 miles nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico during both its spring and fall migrations.
- Some hummingbirds will travel over two thousand miles twice a year during migration times.
- When hummingbirds sleep at night, they go into a hibernation-like state called torpor.
- When hummingbirds go into torpor, they will appear as if they are dead and have occasionally been found to be hanging upside-down.
- Hummingbirds pollinate flowers by rubbing their forehead and face in each flower as they get the nectar.
- Hummingbirds ( like the deer that live here) don’t read books on what they are supposed to do and generally tend to do what they want.
I am excited about taking more pictures this year as I have a new zoom lens…should make for some awesome shots!!
So if you don’t have a feeder yet, it’s time…spring is definitely here :)
Over the years I have found that the Perky Pet feeders work the best, they are easy to clean, they rarely leak and they come in the massive size. The one I am buying tomorrow is a 30 ouncer. Should keep them in juice for a couple of days anyway…
Happy birding!!!
