Did you know …
That hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards?
Yep, for real. I love watching hummingbirds. Out here in BC, the rufus hummingbird is out in force buzzing everything red within site. Which brings me to the meat of this post … feeding hummingbirds.
Those little suckers use a tremendous amount of energy. Hey if you flapped your wings at like 80 beats per second … you’d be tired and hungry too!
Now, feeding hummers is super easy. I’ve been doing it for years (need a new feeder right now though). Couple things of note. First, don’t bother with the red stuff. It’s icky and the red of the feeder will be enough to attract them (I’ve been having hummer buzz a small red flag on my deck lately). Making your own sugar solution is a piece of cake. Just one part white sugar (not ever brown) to four parts water. Heat the water, add sugar, stir until dissolved (got project for kids), cool to room temp and fill the feeder.
When picking a feeder think about cleaning. The sugar solution isn’t just a favourite food for hummers but also bacteria, mold, and other nasties (to a hummer). My favourite feeder is the HummZinger. Durable and super easy to clean.
So … get out there an feed those hummers! BTW … they are super territorial so the hummer dogfights when two males get together are something else to see!
Tags: hummingbirds
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