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A very special recipe for some very special guests
Posted by Christopher51 • 7/29/11
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Ingredients:
4 c. water
1 c. plain sugar
What’s this, you ask? A simple syrup? No. It’s Hummingbird nectar. What prompted me to write this is the discourse that I had this morning with a home improvement store employee that was pushing a Hummingbird nectar product that contained red dye. He then tried to sell the unsuspecting customers the “New and Improved” version that contained VITAMINS… and red dye. That’s even worse!
I have a passion for cooking. I have a deeper passion, however, for little birds. I suspect that I’m not alone. I won’t go into all of the ‘why’s and wherefore’s’ of the detrimental effects of the additives, especially red dye. I’ve worked closely, for several decades, with Cornell University Labs. Suffice it to say, I’ve seen first hand what this stuff does to the little fellows. It’s not pretty.
Directions:
Bring two cups of water to a bare simmer. Add the sugar 1/4 cup at a time, making sure that it dissolves completely before adding the next batch. When all of the sugar has been dissolved, remove from the heat and let cool for 15 minutes. Add the remaining water and let the solution cool almost completely. Put it into a container and store in the refrigerator.
If you have city water containing Fluoride and/or heavy amounts of chlorine, add an extra 1/4 cup of water and bring ALL of the water to a rolling boil for 3-5 minutes. Then let cool slightly before adding the sugar. Let it cool almost completely before storing it in the fridge.
Note: Change the Hummingbird water and scrub the feeders at least every three days, especially if it’s very hot outside. The nectar can ferment and make them sick or even worse, kill them.
Note: When cleaning the feeders, if you use any type of soap, rinse the feeder with a mild vinegar solution afterwards, then fresh water. That should eliminate any residue left by the soap.
Be good to each other and enjoy Gods creatures. God bless.
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What’s even more wondrous is when they drink, sit, preen, yawn and scratch all the while sitting in the palm of your hand. They’re always coming into the shop or garage to check me out; along with my Barn Swallows and Chickadees.
Some of the best feeders I’ve come across are from Wild Birds Unlimited. They’re red polycarbonate with yellow flowers. They have an “Ant Well” that you fill with water to prevent insects from getting to the nectar. They’re also much easier to keep clean that any other type I’ve had.
Yesterday afternoon, my wife came home from work and I was filling the big feeders. She said, “What’s that on your hat? Oh my God… it’s a Nuthatch.” I was wondering where he went to. I could hear him but not see him. I guess he was hungry. :-) -
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This feeder you have described sounds like the one Mary had hanging outside her sliding-glass door. They were such a pleasure to see.
They sit in your hand? You must be similar to Saint. Francis! It's so wonderful when the little ones trust us. I used to sit by my window in the living room to look outside just beyond the glass panes and deep into the bushes. The snowbirds and chickadees and sparrows would swarm in and hide out. Their little cheerful voices were a lovely sound of conversation. I would wait for their arrival and be a bit wistful when they would depart in the late winter, just before the approach of springtime.
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Can you and your passion for little birds come take custody of the one in my backyard which has brought out every Cocker instinct in my Cockapoo for the past few days?
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Oh, is little Snow making woofing sounds and staring intently at this little bird? What type is it Buck?
Has it stopped raining in Arizona yet? -
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Buck: Oh my, I wish I could.
I had a heck of a time training my little guy not to eat the little birds; in or out of the house. Now there was a real challenge. He was 120 – 130 lbs. of solid muscle, half Siberian Husky, half Silver Wolf. Unfortunately he’d tear after everything but birds. Squirrels became ‘Rats-A-Roni’ and rabbits were a gift to please the master. Oh joy!
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I'm not sure what it is... looks like some sort of little gray sparrow. I don't know Arizona birds all that well. Need to get a book like I had back east.
She doesn't bark... she whines. She begs, she wants so bad to go out and track it down. She actually has a halfway decent point for a "designer dog" so guess the cocker in her is pretty strong. The biggest problem is she runs to patio door and whines then runs in the living room and whines for someone to let her out. This goes on for hours at the moment! The parents seem to be caring for the bird so hopefully it will fly away and stop living in the bushes soon and she'll calm down. We've been doing desensitization by going out and sitting near where the bird is in the bushes. She gets a correction (either a tap or a pull on the lead) when she goes on alert. So far this morning she's been lying here by me and not running to the door, so maybe it's working already.
As for the rain, we're in a monsoon break at the moment. Hopefully, it will gear up again very soon because we need a LOT more rain before it shuts down in September for good.
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We cant put up humming bird feeders any more but when we did we just used sugar water. We have bees now they swarm the feeders and our birds cant get to the feed-
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Couldn't you put up one for the bees and then one an acre away for the hummingbirds? Put theirs up first and once they gt used to it, and it's position, then add one close to the bees hive?
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Theresa the bees travel over 2 miles to fine thier food.
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Well two miles away and you'd never see them! The hummingbirds.
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This is very true, in the wild. It’s unusual that they would swarm an inhabited house unless there’s something else going on. When was the last time you had your house inspected for critters? Wasps will be wasps but honeybees, on the other hand, don’t usually hang out unless there’s something to hang out for. I’ve seen them make full-blown active hives inside of walls. You might want to take a look around.
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Christopher51 We have 5 bee hives in our front yard. We raise them for the honey.
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That was a minor detail that you forgot to mention. That could be the reason you have bees swarming the feeder. Hmmm. :-D
I have always been fascinated with apiaries and have contemplated giving it a shot myself. My buddy next door said that I could put out as many hives as I wanted. They’ve got a 500+ acre cattle and hay farm. In the spring, they’ve got the most beautiful red clover that I’ve ever seen; hundreds of acres of it. Sometimes they have to call in bee keepers to help with the pollination of the fields. Something for me to think about. -
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Christopher51 is you want some information on bee keeping just let me know. I have resources and a hubby full of info. that is his baby. I am not brave enough to pick up a frame with 1000's of bees on it and move them ariund.
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Amy I must say you are doing well for someone typing just using one hand. Soon it'll be two! Rest up.
I wouldn't know if I would do that either, although over the years I feel much more at ease with bees than as a fearful child. I was stung most frightfully by a huge bumble bee at age three and it impressed me a lot. Since I have learned that most times they are simply curious, I have looked at them in a new light. Perhaps after getting acquainted I might try it.
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lga_sAPRkeI Video of Hummingbird Watch in flight @ feeder
www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5tq0ACqInk Seals and Crofts Hummingbird (one of my all-time favorites!
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In the movie Cowboys vs. Aliens (it was much better than I though it would be and it took our minds off of serious matters), there was a beautiful hummingbird. So you'll have to go see.
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These birds are quite beautifully colored and sport such wonderful plumage. They're fascinating to watch and many people get a thrill when they are in their presence. they move their wings so rapidly the cameraman has to replay footage on very slow speed, in order to capture this fluid movement. Birds are one of the perks of life.