Amazing Hummingbirds of Canada
From British Columbia the summer home of a variety of tropical hummingbirds, this close and slow look at amazing hummingbirds.
Tips on Feeding Wild Birds
Articles from Best Garden Bird Feeders
Feeding wild birds is most beneficial during the winter when natural food may be in short supply but food shortages can occur in any season. Put out food for the birds all year round to help when shortages do occur. Temporary food shortages during the breeding season will affect the young so providing suitable food during this time will be especially beneficial for the wild birds.
Spring and Summer Feeding
Birds require a source of high protein foods during the summer and especially when thet are moulting. Some good examples of food to place in your garden bird feeder or bird table are black sunflower seeds, raisins and currents, grated cheese, soaked sultanas, mealworms and special summer seed mixes or mixes for insect eating birds.
You could also put out fruit for the fruit loving birds. Bananas and grapes and apples and pears cut in two can be sued. Do not use bread, fat or peanuts during the summer as they can be harmful to baby birds. Also avoid the use of home made fat balls as they will quickly become rancid in the warm weather. Purchased fat bars are much better but need to be checked to make sure they are not rancid and will only last for about three weeks before they must be discarded.
If the weather is unseasonably cold or very wet during the breeding period there may be a shortage of insects. A dry spell can make it difficulty for wild birds to feed on earthworms when the soil is hard. If there are young birds in the nest the parents will e tempted by food on birdtables so it is esential that the food you supply is suitable for the parents to take back to their young. This is why you should never put out food such as loose peanuts, hard, dry food or large pieces of bread or fats during the summer. These foods may be taken back to feed the chicks and can prove lethal.
Fall and winter Feeding
During the fall and winter put food out for the birds regularly, twice a day during severe weather if possible. During these months birds need high energy foods so put out foods high in fat to supply energy during the cold weather. Only put out good quality food and make sure any uneaten food is removed.
Image by Wade Franklin
Dixie Hummingbirds
“Loves Me Like A Rock” by Ira Tucker, Sr. and the Dixie Hummingbirds Live at San Francisco
August Hummingbirds
Some clips I shot today and yesterday with my Fuji S5000 camera of predominately female and immature Ruby Throated Hummingbirds. My website has more
extensive photos, info, and links to other sites.
http://home.centurytel.net/Arkcite/hek0.htm
Wild Birds Unlimited
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Hummingbird Nectar Recipe
Articles from Best Garden Bird Feeders
Hummingbirds feed on nectar from flowers so in order to attract them to your feeder you need to make nectar that is similar to their natural food.
Hummingbird Nectar Recipe
Follow the recipe below for an easy Hummingbird nectar.
Boil water then measure out 2 cups of water and add 1/2 cup of sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar then cool and store in the refrigerator. It will keep for about a week. There is no need to add any coloring.
Cleaning the Hummingbird Feeder
At least once a week clean your hummingbird feeder. Rinse out with a solution containing 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water. If the feeder does not come clean add some uncooked rice and shake to dislodge any dirt particles. Fill with the nectar and hang up in a shady place.
Other Ways to Attract Hummingbirds
You could also plant flowers to attract the hummingbirds. Clematis, impatiens, hibiscus, hollyhocks and fuchsias are all favorites.
Some Information about Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds are found in north and South America and the Caribbean. They are well known for their ability to hover in place by rapidly beating their wings. They can also fly backwards, the only species to be able to go this. These tiny birds have long tongues to enable them to reach into the flowers and gather the nectar. Hummingbirds are the smallest species of birds with the Bee Hummingbird, at only two inches being the smallest bird in the world. The largest Hummingbird is the Giant Hummingbird at eight inches long.
How to Attract Birds to your Bird Feeder
Articles from Best Garden Bird Feeders
In order to attract the wild bird species you would like to your bird feeder you will need to provide a suitable feeder and food to attract them. Different birds will need different types of feeder. Larger bird will need a sturdy feeder with large perches, hummingbirds will need a nectar feeder, finches will be attracted to thistle seeds in a thistle feeder. There are even specially designed feeders for different species e.g. woodpecker feeders, goldfinch feeders and jay feeders.
Tin Jay Feeder
Click here for more information on the Tin Jay Feeder
Feeders suitable for the type of feed you are offering are listed below:
- Tube feeder – thistle or other small seeds
- Platform feeder – fruit or special food types
- Hummingbird feeder – nectar
- Mesh cage feeder (squirrel proof) – suet, peanuts, larger seeds
- Standard feeder – sunflower seeds, safflower seeds
Food suitable for different species is listed below.
- Bluebird Cornmeal with peanut butter added, bluebird seed available to purchase.
- Bunting Small seeds & grains.
- Blackbirds Small seeds & grains, breadcrumbs
- Chickadee Unsalted nuts, suet, safflower seeds, sunflower seeds
- Finches Thistle (Niger) seeds, black sunflower Seeds.
- Jay Peanuts, corn ,suet, sunflower
- Mourning Dove sunflower and safflower seeds, wheat, milo and cracked corn seeds
- Mockingbird Bread, raisins, suet
- Robin Apples, raisins and breadcrumbs
- Northern Shrike Suet.
- Siskin Thistle seeds, sunflower seeds.
- Thrasher Bread, raisins, suet
- Towhee Bird seed mixtures for small birds
- Woodpecker sunflower and safflower seeds, wheat, milo and cracked corn seeds
- Warblers Peanut butter, suet (although usually insect eaters)
- Townsend’s Warblers Peanut butter, suet, cheese
- Yellow Throated Warbler Breadcrumbs.
Choose your bird feeder and type of food carefully and you will attract the wild birds that you would like in your garden.
2007 Ruby-throated Hummingbird Clips 1
A variety of hummingbird clips featuring Ruby-throated Hummingbirds eating from handheld flowers & feeders, hummingbirds bathing, hummingbird nest with two babies and other hummingbird clips.
Keeping Bees and Ants out of Hummingbird Feeders
Articles from Best Garden Bird Feeders
Hummingbird feeders contain sugar water which will not only attract the lovely hummingbirds but also some visitors you don’t want! Ants bees and wasps will invade your feeder if you don’t take some precautions!
picture by Timothy K Hamilton
Keeping Ants out of Hummingbird Feeders
First of all when you are shopping for your hummingbird feeder select a dripless feeder. If you can also get one with a built in ant moat this will be even better. The ant moat can be filled with water. Don’t use any other liquid in the moat like oil as many small birds will drink from the moat. If the feeder does not have a moat make one. Take a spray can top and run the hanging wire through it.Seal the hole with silicone sealer or glue. Another good method is to paint the moat at the bottom with a sticky substance called Tanglefoot and install the moat with th open side downwards. Tanglefoot is very effective at trapping ants and is not toxic to the birds in any way. It will last a long time as it is unaffected by rain or dust.
Keeping Bees and Wasps out of Hummingbird Feeders
Bees and wasps have been found to be attracted to anything that is yellow so choose a feeder of a different color.or remove any yellow parts on your feeder. Feeders can be purchased with bee guards. HummZinger feeders are insect proof as the level of the feeding solution is too low for the insects to reach but accessible by the hummingbirds with their long tongues.
Aspects HummZinger Rose Fancy Hummingbird Feeder
Click here for more information on the Aspects Hummzinger Rose Fancy Hummingbird Feeder
The Opus glass hummingbird feeder has two bee resistant ports.
Opus Hummingbird Feeder Glass 10oz
10 oz. glass hummingbird feeder. durable, tempered clear glass nectar container. two bee resistant feeding ports. dimensions (h x w x l) : 6.37 x 4.19 x 4.25
Click here for more information on the Opus Hummingbird Feeder Glass 10oz
You could also reduce the sugar content of the feeding solution to 1 part sugar to 5 parts water t make it less attractive to the insects. Remove the feeder for a day or two if wasps or bees are congregating around it. Replace in a new position and the insects may not find it again. Another thing you could try is to mix up some more concentrated sugar water, place it in a saucer (preferably a yellow one to be more attractive) and place the saucer near to the feeder. Gradually move the saucer away from the feeder until the bees stop using it.
Hummingbird Feeders Q&A
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