The Hummingbird Migration of 2010 (or How To Get Those Rascals To Visit)

It is that time of year again.  Time for our tiny backyard kamikaze pilots to return from their long winter vacation in South America.  I'm referring, of course, to the hummingbirds.  

I've found a handy site for tracking the hummers' progress - Journey North. No matter where in the US you live, you can find out if the hummers are heading your way.  

Next, we should get prepared for the thirsty travelers.  If you don't already have a hummingbird feeder, I highly recommend the 8 ounce Aspects HummZinger Hummingbird Feeder.  I've tried about a half dozen different types of feeders and this is the best by far.  It is so much easier to clean than any other feeder I've had.  You simply pull it apart and either hand wash or pop it in the top rack of the dishwasher.  It comes with a little port brush to clean the ports. That'll take you less than a minute.  It has a built in ant moat (big plus!) and is all red - so it is less likely to attract bees and wasps.  (Many hummingbird feeders have red and yellow - yellow has shown to attract insects, while hummers just don't care one way or the other.)   If you get a lot of hummers and they're not too territorial, you can get the HummZinger 16 ounce feeder - but I find the smaller feeder requires more frequent refills - guaranteeing you'll have fresh food out.   Hummers will reject a feeder with spoiled food.  Finally, the big bonus of this feeder is that it doesn't leak.  Every other kind of feeder I've owned has leaked something awful.  This feeder has never spilled so much as a drop. 

Speaking of food - don't waste your money on buying gimmicky hummingbird "nectar".  They don't need the red dye and you can make your own sugar water at home.  I have a perfect recipe that will make your hummers stop and stay for the season.   I make a 32oz (1 quart) batch of this at a time and store the leftovers in the fridge.   

Boil 2 cups of water - then remove from heat.
Add 1 cup of sugar - stir well until fully dissolved.
Add 1 cup of ice to cool if you're going to serve immediately.  If not, just add 1 cup of cold water.

That's it!  Most people recommend a 5 to 1 ratio water to sugar - but I've found that my hummers like the extra sweet nectar that I put out.   After a long flight migrating from South America they can use that extra energy and they'll see your home as a little oasis.  Hopefully they will stay all summer long.  If you want any advice or have any questions, please feel free to ask.  Next time - feeding hummers, butterflies and bees with your summer flowers!