Return of the Hummers

Hummingbirds are indeed back! It's great to have the hummingbirds back. I get alot of them at my feeder each summer and all summer long I have the best time watching my little hummers at my feeder. It starts out every year around the same time sometime the beginning of May I set out humming bird feeders. Do you have your feeder out yet? Don't worry it's not too late. However the folks who put out their feeders early seem to have the best luck attracting hummers. So ,if you haven't already, get out your feeder soon. Everyone seems to enjoy the humming birds. I marvel at the tiny size, at their flying skills, and the fact they are able to fly thousands of miles, and yet locate exactly the same feeder they ate from a whole year ago. Amazing! It's ironic that the birds can find our feeders when many of us can't. Did you know that while most birds mate for life or at least have a rock solid bond during mating season that this is not the case with hummingbirds? Yep, They hate all that mushy stuff. In fact they hate each other. Female hummers are extremely resourceful, independent and almost no use for males. When most female birds arrive on their breeding grounds they immediately begin to look for a mate. Not Ms. Hummer. Mating is the last thing on her mind. The first thing she does upon arrival is build a nest, and she does it alone. She doesn't need a mate telling her where and how to build it. Once her nest is completed, she takes a quick trip over to a males territory, does what she has to do, and is done with him. (Sounds like my kinda girl) As you can imagine, hummers nests are small built about ten to twenty feet above the ground, but it may be low. Most nests are located just below a layer of foliage. The foliage not only hides the nest from predators, but it also provides protection from rain and the heat of the summer sun. I have never seen a nest. I have tried numerous times to find one. Finding an active hummingbird nest is not an easy thing to do. Remember the female hummers are single moms. There is no male friendly neighbor or mother-in-law to watch her kids while she is off gathering food. Foliage is all she has to protect her babies when she is not there. The female rarely flies directly back to her nest.; she often makes several false stops along the way. I guess I could try to locate the nest in the fall, when the leaves are off the trees. I will have to put that on my list of things to accomplish this year. A few more thoughts: The formula for making hummingbird food is four parts water to one part sugar. Red food coloring is not required and not recommended. However, changing the food and cleaning your feeder twice a week is important. Why? If Ms. Hummer visits your feeder and it's not fresh, she may not return. She'll simply cast you aside like she's done to all of the males she's met over the years. You don't want to end up like them.

Let it snow!!

Those needing winter weather to help them get into the Christmas mood need wait no longer. Here in northern Indiana it's snowing. UGH! Some of the reasons I don't like winter is directly related to the cold. I can't stand how my lips and hands get chapped. I use so much lotion and chap stick this time of year, or scraping frost or ice off the car windows or having to wait for the car to get warm enough for the heat to work. Driving on snow covered roads can almost give me ulcers. It's quite simple, I am not fond of winter. For hubby and I winter is a tough time of year. I would just love to do what the bears do and hibernate until Spring. But, I can't, so I must deal with it. I will embrace the winter season and let my inner child have some fun maybe perhaps I can take the stress out of the winter season this year. I can think like a child. Remember making snow angels when you were a kid? One year my hubby made a stellar snowman. The grand kids called it Mimi. Papa makes a Mimi every year now for the kiddos. I can feed the birds. One of our greatest joys is our bird feeding stations in our backyard. It is right outside the dining room and living room windows. I love watching the many birds who come to eat. The joyful little calls really lift me up and make me happy and the gorgeous red cardinals or blue jay against the white snow...Sublime! The lively spot of color in an otherwise dreary landscape is wonderful. Put out a bird feeder near a window where you can watch the birds. You will be amazed at how much they perk you up. I can ice fish with the hubby I know, seems a bit odd for someone who hates the cold and snow as much as I do but, if you are catching fish one right after another like the hubby and I did one winter, you kind of forget all about the freezing cold until you have to pee and there is no where to go and it means if you do find a place , you have to take off everything just about, just to go, Brrrr! I'm guessing ice fishing is not a woman thing. But, it is so rewarding to catch more fish than the darling husband of mine. So despite the cold and snow winter weather has to offer. I say, Let it snow!

Homemade Hummingbird Food

Yes, It's that time of year again. Today I dug out our hummingbird feeders. Tomorrow I will hang them outside and fill them with nectar. If you are like us, we have a few hummingbird feeders around the yard. I just love watching these tiny birds. They always amaze me. Now, you can buy the hummingbird nectar but, this gets costly and there is not much in the pkgs. I label a pitcher to keep in the refrigerator with "homemade hummingbird food" This is so much cheaper. All you do is bring 4 cups water to a boil and stir in 1 cup sugar, stir to dissolve, when cool, pour into the pitcher and refrigerate until needed. As I refill the feeders, I make another batch for the next time. Do not add food coloring. I understand it is not good for the little hummingbirds. Feeding hummingbirds is an easy, inexpensive and rewarding pastime. All you need is a feeder table sugar, some water and you are set. Oh yes, remember, it is important to keep the feeder clean and the nectar fresh. Sugar water is very rich growth medium. Yeasts like to eat it causing fermentation which can harm the hummingbirds. That is why you should keep the feeder clean and the nectar fresh!