Fiery-throated HUMMINGBIRD - Panterpe insignis

Fiery-throated Hummingbird - Panterpe insignis

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Simple Ways to Attract HUMMINGBIRDS to Your Garden

A female ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) sipping nectar from scarlet beebalm (Monarda didyma).
 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A lot of people think that hanging out a quick hummingbird feeder is enough to encourage hummers into their gardens. While hummingbirds will stop by and eat from these feeders, they tend to quickly move on to more welcoming gardens. Creating an ideal garden for hummingbirds offers more than just food. They offer all of the basic essentials for bird life. 

Hummingbirds come and stay in gardens that are perfectly suited for them. Here's what you need to create an ideal garden for hummingbirds.

Many hummingbirds are a migratory species of bird that spend the winters in South and Central America and in the spring travel all the way up to North America and even into parts of Canada where they spend the warm season breeding, raising young, and preparing to fly south again. Hummingbirds rely on the nectar found in flowers, which they get plenty of in South America. But, they need the abundant insects found in the spring and summer in the lands of North America and Canada to successfully raise healthy babies. 

They also spend a lot of time resting- usually about 80% of their lives is spent sitting and resting their tiny bodies. Providing a garden that's full of healthy insect activity with lots of nectar sources and plenty of thin twigs, branches, and other similar places to rest are all going to entice a hummer to stick around. Even more important, providing a safe place to nest will help the hummingbirds stay through the season, and return yearly.

Rely on plants that hummingbirds enjoy to eat from. Tubular red, blue, and purple perennial flowers are highly attractive to hummingbirds. The wild versions of plants usually create the most nectar which will encourage hummingbirds to come back again and again, but this isn't a hard-set rule. Many cultivars provide plenty of nectar for hummingbirds.

Hummingbird plants include:

• Buddleia (Butterfly Bush)
• Azalea
• Honeysuckles
• Weigela
• Monarda (Bee Balm)
• Agastache
• Hosta
• Foxglove
• Yucca
• Rose of Sharon
• Viburnum
• Crape Myrtle
• Summersweet (Clethra)
• Hydrangea
• Mockorange
• Potentilla
• Trumpet Vine
• Salvia
• Coral Bells (Heuchera)
• Mints

Consider tying up a thin line if you don't have a clothesline already. Hummingbirds of North America are well adapted to life with people and their homes and are quite fond of perching and resting on clotheslines, wires, extension cords, chicken wire fences, or any thin and stable cables. Trees and shrubs are also very welcome resting spots too.

Offer a moving source of water for hummers to bathe in and drink from. Despite assuming that these small birds get all of the water they need from nectar, they are still observed using birdbaths consistently.

In the garden, try to refrain from using chemical commercial pesticides. They are long-acting, so even if you use them in a specific area they often stick around and continue to kill for weeks after the application. Instead, encourage a healthy bug population. If you're over-run by grasshoppers or Japanese beetles, for example, there are plenty of specific traps that work to capture these pets and bring their numbers down to a less destructive number. One option is to use a natural organic insecticidal soap for aphid infestations that won't harm hummingbirds if it's ingested in small amounts.

So... go beyond the hummingbird feeder for attracting and keeping those gorgeous winged jewels in your garden.

By Cheryl D. Jones Cheryl D. Jones shares gardening tips and landscape ideas through her blog, newsletters and her nursery's website. Visit GreenwoodNursery.com for a full line of plants including trees, flowering shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses and ground covers. Join the Greenwood Gardeners Club free to receive Greenwood Nursery's weekly newsletter, seasonal promotions and 10% off your first order. Click here for a listing of plants to attract hummingbirds to your garden, as well as butterflies and bees. - Google+ Article Source: EzineArticles

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HUMMINGBIRDS

Male Calliope Hummingbird (Stellula calliope) at feeder in Albuquerque, NM, USA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Many individuals are fascinated by hummingbirds. So much so, that they will do anything in their power to attract these petite creatures to their yards. So what is the best way to attract these wee feathered friends?

Here are some tips to help make your home a hummingbird hotspot:

What Do Hummingbirds Eat?

Hummingbirds usually feed off flower nectar and sugar water that is left out for them in birdfeeders. They also feed off of small insects like ants, slugs, and spiders. If you really want to attract hummingbirds to your yard, make sure your bird feeder is always filled with nectar and sugar water.

What Should My Hummingbird Feeder or House Look Like?

It is a well-known fact that hummingbirds are attracted to the color red. That being said, if the feeder you already have isn’t red get out your paintbrush or stick a large red bow on it to get their attention. The best hummingbird feeders have perches for the birds to stand on while they feed. The holes in hummingbird feeders are just big enough for the little guys to fit their heads in, but they’re too small for squirrels and other larger animals so they can’t steal the food.

Refrain from painting your hummingbird feeder or house yellow because bees and wasps are attracted to these colors and also enjoy the taste of sweet nectar. You’ll want to keep insects as far away from your hummingbird feeders and houses as possible.

What Materials Should Hummingbird Houses or Feeders be made of?

Hummingbird feeders and houses are usually made of acrylic or glass. They are also available in wood and plastic; however, these do not work as effectively and may cause harm to the birds (slivers and cuts). Hummingbird houses and feeders come in a variety of sizes and shapes and usually contain numerous feeding areas throughout the feeder.

Where Should I my Hummingbird Feeder?

Ideally, a hummingbird feeder should be hung near a garden with bright flowers and plants. A flowery location is most likely to attract the attention of hummingbirds. For your viewing pleasure, you may want to hang your feeder in a place that can be easily seen from your home. For example, a hummingbird feeder hung in front of a window can be admired all day.

How Much Do Hummingbird Feeders Cost?

The styles and designs differ so much that it’s difficult to determine a specific price. Hummingbird feeders and houses can cost anywhere from $10 to $50 - depending on the style, design, and features.

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Backyard Bird Feeders: How To Attract HUMMINGBIRDS

Hummingbird at feeder in Costa Rica (it only took twenty shots to get one this good!) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Your first glimpse at bird watching may come through the use of binoculars. Binoculars are an essential piece of bird watching equipment, therefore, your binoculars must be able to keep the images stabilized as this is necessary for long distance bird watching. Although you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on an expensive model, it does pay to have a pair of binoculars that can stand up to the terrain that you’ll be going through, and the weather that you’ll have to endure.  They must be able to work in dim lighting and not fog up. As birds are not stationary creatures you should be able to focus on them very quickly.

The Hummingbird is a beautiful yet very agile bird. The chance to see them very closely in the wild is somewhat rare. This is because, like most wild animals, they are simply not comfortable around us humans. One option to eliminate this problem is to provide a place for them to find supplementary food. 

A popular way to attract hummingbirds to your garden is by using a backyard bird feeder. You can fill the feeder with seeds or even nectar and there’s also the possibility of having a bird bath in your garden. This provides your visiting feathered friends the opportunity to splash about and get themselves nice and clean. 

You can of course go to your nearest pet store and buy the latest and greatest in bird tables and backyard bird feeders, or you can simply try your hand at making your very own bird feeder. This is a simple easy project to do and the satisfaction that you’ll gain as you look at the many birds will definitely be worth your effort.

The main reason for buying  a hummingbird feeder is to see these tiny birds in action. Decide what Copper Hummingbird Feeder will look, and work best in your garden. After all, what you want most is to attract these beautiful jewel-toned birds to your garden. The decorative effect the Copper Hummingbird Feeder will have in your garden is just an added benefit.

There is one particular hummingbird feeder that has the ability to catch the attention of the busy little birds. The copper base on this feeder is one of the main reasons for this. The Schrodt Facet Hummingbird Feeder is made entirely out of red cut-glass. The shape of this bottle somewhat resembles a prism. The base of the bottle is narrow, but the bottle widens as you go upwards. This will allow you to store enough nectar to last for a few days.

The base of the feeder is made entirely of copper. This copper base reflects any light that is shining on it. As the reflected light may bounce off the red glass bottle, curious hummingbirds will definitely decide to come and investigate your garden that has a Schrodt Facet Copper Hummingbird Feeder in it.

And then enjoy all the beautiful birds to your garden.

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