Congratulations! We survived another winter! Although, let’s be honest, this winter was more like an average Cape Cod Spring, with less sunshine.
But the sunshine is BACK! And so are the birds and the bees! The REAL birds and bees! I have been excited to see the osprey’s returning to their nests and even more excited to hear the eagles have returned to our little sand spit!
It is only a matter of time before the little guys come back to set up nests and brighten our days, too. And by ‘little guys’ I mean the REALLY little itty-bitty ones: Honey Bees and Hummingbirds!
My neighbors are already setting up their hives and I am looking forward to seeing worker bees methodically dig their way through the clover flowers that will soon take over my backyard. I try to plant things that will attract interesting insects like those little worker bees.
A few years ago I realized that I have several hummingbirds who also zip around my backyard sampling from the flowers I THOUGHT would attract butterflies. In fact, from a distance I thought they were butterflies who had somehow acquired precision jet packs as they darted in and out of my butterfly bushes then zoom away into the trees.
I began to do a little research and quickly set up my own feeder outside my kitchen window. After only a few days, I began to see several of these little speed demons hovering and sampling the sugary nectar I bought from the store!
It seems that hummingbirds are attracted to the color red, which is why the feeders are often bright red, and filled with red liquid. There seems to be a general consensus, however, RED DYED nectar is a NO-NO. If you are purchasing hummingbird food, try to get the clear liquid. I am more comfortable with fewer ingredients, anyway.
If you prefer, it’s very easy to make your own nectar, which is what I started doing last summer. Boil 4 parts water with 1 part sugar until the sugar dissolves. DONE. Really! Cool the liquid in the fridge then fill your CLEAN hummingbird feeder and place outside. And the last week of April is the best time to get those feeders outside!
The Massachusetts Audubon Society has a few more helpful tips for attracting hummingbirds:
Courtesy of Mass Audubon
About Cat Wilson
