It's Time for the Hummingbirds...I'm READY!

Dear Friends,

Since I'm now using 20 feeders, I'm buying 25 pounds bags of sugar and that isn't enough!  Each day I come home from work and they are ALL DRY.  To make nectar, I mix one cup of sugar to four cups of water with no food coloring.  The feeders  are cleaned twice a week with hot soapy water and a brush. 

Chattyhummer stocks up on sugar

This week I started hand-feeding the birds each day to try to establish a friendly feeding zone.  It's a lot of work to gain trust.  I work with them one hour each day after I get home from work.  Usually by 7:00 p.m., most have flown to the woods to nest.  Even though the birds feed all day, I've noticed that there are more in the early mornings and late evenings.  The window of time for hand-feeding is very limited but it is quite rewarding.

It's amazing what one can do with an iPhone.  I held the feeder with one hand and recorded video with the other hand.  Hummingbirds perched on the iPhone. 

It's fun to have 5 or more birds sitting on your hand at the same time.  There is nothing like it and I'm grateful that the birds visited my garden each year.

CHATTYHUMMER