Originally uploaded by Jhaan.

Surfing photos at flickr.com and came across this one of two little hummingbirds. What a beautiful little nest…

I added a new bird bath to the back yard.  I found a really nice plant saucer, red even, in hopes of attracting hummingbirds to it, since they like the color red.  It’s nearing the end of May and I have yet to see even one.  I thought I took a few pictures of it, but I can’t find any.  I need new batteries or I would check the camera.  Is it considered camera abuse when you use it to the point the batteries are so dead, it won’t even turn on?

Last week, I saw the cat drinking out it.  Lovely.  It is low, sitting on a cut tree stump.  Can’t imagine that’s very encouraging to the birds.  I won’t have another outdoor cat again.

The other day, I saw Abbey, the Dog, drinking out of it.  Unlike the cat, she didn’t have to reach up to get her links.

Finally, the other morning, a few starlings were playing in it.  Starlings are my favorite birds, as they tend to be bullies and rather messy and piggish in their feeding habits.  Because of them, I’ve taken to only safflower seed - starlings don’t care for it and leave it alone.  The regular cheap mix, they would hog and make a huge mess with it.. presumably because they don’t like to share.  But, hey, where were having fun in the bird bath.

All the birds love the bird bath water dripper.  I see them play in it daily.  I also added an oriole feeder to my collection, filled it with oriole nectar, jelly and orange halves… so far nothing.  I’ll keep holding out hope. 

Attracting Orioles

Similar to other homemade wild bird and butterfly nectar recipes, Oriole nectar requires only two main ingredients; water and white sugar.

Oriole nectar feeders are available through wild bird retail shops. Feeders are similar in look to a hummingbird feeder, but are orange rather than red and have larger feeding holes. Designs vary, but some include an area to put fresh fruit (oranges, mashed bananas, grapes, etc). Or, if you prefer, skip the nectar altogether and just feed fresh fruits - there are other more specific feeders for fruit.

Directions for Homemade Oriole Nectar Recipe

Oriole nectar is made in a ratio of 1 part white sugar to 6 parts water.

1. Bring your water to a boil.
2. Add sugar.
3. Stir and remove from heat.
4. Let cool.
I like to let fresh nectar cool in the feeder, but I don’t put the feeder outside until it’s completely cool.

Nectar storage: it stores up to 2 weeks in the fridge or several months if frozen. I put my nectar in a clean 1/2 gallon (obviously empty!) milk jug, which clearly I write Oriole Juice on the side.
(Tip: Use an ice cube tray. Once frozen remove and store in a freezer safe baggy.)

Beyond nectar, Orioles like to munch on a variety of bugs (caterpillars, beetles, wasp, etc.) and are particularly fond of grape jelly. I have read they are fond of cherries (maybe some cherry jelly next to that grape?) and blackberries (some jam, perhaps?). They also like fresh ripe fruit, such as oranges, raspberries, cherries, mashed bananas, apples, pears, …. etc.

Enjoy! Have fun attracting wildlife and happy bird watching!

Homemade Hummingbird Nectar Recipe
[http://www.mommamuse.com/2006/04/23/homemade-hummingbird-nectar/]

—
Judi Cox is a wife and mother of 4 children. Her hobbies include making handmade soap from scratch, gardening, crafts, web design and maintaining Mom’s Little Garden ( http://www.momslittlegarden.com/ ), an online resource for pregnant mothers, as well as her personal website, Momma Muse (http://www.mommamuse.com/ ).
—
Copyright (c) 2006 Judi Cox
Permission is granted to copy and reprint this article keeping author byline in tact.

I wanted to add a water feature to our bird bath, specifically a mister, something the birds would enjoy playing in. Unfortunately, I’m not in the market to spend much money. My solution was a very easy, budget-friendly bird bath water dripper made out of a milk carton.

Items needed:
- milk carton
- shepherds hook or tree branch, something very sturdy which is able to hold about 8 pounds
- pin (I used a thumbtack)

Fill the milk carton with water and hang from hook.  At the lowest point in the bottom, use the thumbtack or pin to prick a very tiny hole to allow water to drip.  Start with a really tiny hole - if you need more flow, push the pin back in and make it a tiny bit bigger.f

Here is the first one I did.  The screw on cap is still on this one.

Here, I cut the top off. First, it didn’t seem to have any significant affect on the rate of the water flow. Second, this allows for easier water filling - and catching a little rain.

I have two of these set up, one over our bird bath, one over a toad bath near the toad abode (toad house).

Attracting Wild Birds

No need to buy the powdered Hummingbird Nectar mix from the store for this rewarding hobby. Instead, make your with this simple hummingbird nectar recipe. You only need water and white sugar - super simple and easy to make.

Use the following proportion:
1 part regular white sugar to 4 parts water.
Example: 1 cup sugar, 4 cups water

1. Boil the water.
2. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
3. Let cool.
4. Refrigerate in a designated hummingbird feeder pitcher.

Using a microwave works too. Put the water in a microwave safe container and heat to boiling point. Carefully remove and add sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. I fill my clean feeders and set them aside to cool and let the rest cool a bit before storing in the fridge.

Nothing extra: There is no need to add anything extra to the mixture, i.e. coloring, honey, etc. It’s not necessary and could be harmful. Honey will quickly ferment becoming poisonous to the birds.

Storing hummingbird nectar: I store all varieties of my wild bird (Orioles, Hummingbirds, Butterflies, etc) “juice” up to two weeks in the fridge, but generally need to make it more often than that.
Tip: I use a Rubbermaid container or a clean milk carton, clearly marked, to store my hummingbird juice in the refrigerator. Another idea I recently read is to freeze the extra. I may try this by putting it in a freezer bag and freezing flat. Once it is frozen, it would break up easily to place into the feeder.

Discard: If the juice in the feeder(s) becomes cloudy, or mucky, empty, clean and refill.

Cleaning: Make sure bird feeders are cleaned every few days to a week to prevent any ickies. Cleaning with a solution of vinegar and hot water is good.

Location and Feeders: More than one feeder, placed strategically around the yard, will encourage more hummingbirds to visit at a time. They are territorial birds, so place feeders out of the line of sight of each other.
note: however, I have had more than one at a feeder at time with no ill-will directed towards each other. Experiment a bit.

Enjoy your visitors!

Want to attract Orioles? Here’s our Homemade Oriole Nectar Recipe - and a few other Oriole feeding ideas.

—
Judi Cox is a wife and mother of 4 children. Her hobbies include making handmade soap from scratch, gardening, crafts, web design and maintaining Mom’s Little Garden ( http://www.momslittlegarden.com/ ), an online resource for pregnant mothers, as well as her personal website, Momma Muse (http://www.mommamuse.com/ ).
—
Copyright (c) 2006 Judi Cox
Permission is granted to copy and reprint this article keeping author byline in tact.

by Vanina Mangano

Attracting hummingbirds to your backyard and garden is much easier than it sounds. These small birds have a special knack for finding their favorite flowers, and a powerful memory for returning to their favorite spots - even after years of visiting! A common mistake is to think that hummingbirds find their feeding ground through a flower’s scent, but this is untrue - they have nearly no sense of smell. Instead, they seek out tubular shaped flowers, heavy with nectar, and specific colors, such as red, pink, and orange. This is why hummingbird feeders work so well: they typically are lined with the color red, or other strong colors. A major plus is that hummingbirds are always on the look out for new places to feed. This does not mean that once they find a new feeding ground they will abandon yours - these birds must feed at least every 10 minutes, so the more the better!

To start, try some or all of the following:

- Plant a hummingbird garden. A great part of a hummingbird’s diet consists of sugar, which they get from nectar and tree sap.

Here are some of the many plants that make a great hummingbird paradise:

–Flowers: Canna, Foxglove, Lupine, Yucca, Coral Bells, Agapanthus, Petunia, Impatiens, Fuschias, Begonia, Honeysuckle

–Trees/Shrubs: Azalea, Red Buckeye, Lantana, Butterfly Bush

–Vines: Honeysuckle, Morning Glory, Trumpet Creeper, Cypress Vine

- Hang a hummingbird feeder (nectar recipe). These are very easy to find and affordable. You can buy a special feeder mix, or make your own by boiling 1 part sugar to 4 parts water 2 cups water for two hours. A word of caution: do not use food coloring or any type of dye, honey, or artificial flavors - these will harm the hummingbirds.

- Hummingbirds are very territorial. If possible, we recommend hanging at least two feeders.

- Red is a very attractive color to them. Tying a red ribbon near your feeder will make them curious enough to explore, as well as making the feeder more visible.

- Clean your feeder at least one time per month. Not only will you continue to provide hummingbirds with a great feeding source, but you will keep them coming (they will not feed on spoiled syrup).

- Hummingbirds spend 80% of their time perching. By including possible perching plants or other perching-potential items in your garden, hummingbirds will be more likely to linger and return.

- Bathing in running water is a pleasing hummingbird pastime - they love dripping water. They enjoy misted leaves to bathe in, so adding water misters near plants with wide leaves is a definite attraction.

- Eucalyptus trees are desirable to hummingbirds not only because they provide good perching ground, but also because they use them for nesting material.

- Hummingbirds don’t just feed from nectar. Part of their diet is made up of protein that they get from little insects that they eat, particularly fruit flies. Because of this, it is best not to use pesticide in your hummingbird garden, since the birds may feed on infected insects and become ill themselves.

By following some or all of the above suggestions, you should see some hummers very soon. Although, keep in mind that many hummingbirds do migrate, depending on your region, so do not become discouraged if they do not show immediately - there are many online resources outlining migratory and species information, such as http://www.hummingbirds.net.

Some fun hummingbird facts:

- They take nectar at 13 licks per second

- They can consume up to 2/3 of their body weight daily

- They can flap their wings 60-200 times per second

- Their Heart beats up to 1260 times per second

- They can fly up, down, forward, backward, and sideways

- Some migration routes consist of up to 600 miles in length

- There are 16 different species

- Feet are only used for perching

- They can fly up to 60 miles per hour

About the author:
Vanina Mangano is co-founder of MYeFlora, an online gardening community. Vanina is a business professional and a passionate gardener who enjoys writing about and participating in nature.
Visit her site at http://www.myeflora.com.