Blog de Puree

I finally had a chance to hang my two hummingbird feeders late this April to attract some hummingbirds this season. And filling them with a homemade sugar and water solution was easy. (See recipe below)

My efforts at refreshing the sugar/water solution every week paid off last week. A Ruby-throated Hummingbird visited our window feeder late one afternoon and now visits every couple of days.

A ruby-throated hummingbird hovers at the kitchen window. (Photo by Randye Kerstein/Kerstein Creative)

It’s amazing to see how tiny it is when compared to the small American Goldfinches that frequent daily. Thankfully, the hummingbird is not afraid of the larger birds.

The hummingbird zips in and perches at our hanging feeder in the backyard. (Photo by Randye Kerstein/Kerstein Creative)

Glug, glug! The hummingbird drinks sugar water from the hanging feeder. (Photo by Randye Kerstein/Kerstein Creative)

The coolest part is watching the hummingbird hover, then dart in and out from the feeder. We’re going to try and snag some video at some point this summer.

Hummingbird Sugar and Water Recipe

• 2 Cups of tap water
• 1/2 Cup of white processed sugar

Boil the water, then measure and add the sugar. You can decrease and increase the amount of water and sugar, but be sure to keep a 4 parts water/1 part sugar ratio. Stir the sugar into the boiling water until it is completely dissolved.

Let the mix cool and store any excess in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it. Don’t add artificial coloring or sweeteners.

Clean your feeder and refill about once per week or more frequently in hot weather.

The National Audubon Society recommends rinsing your feeder in a one part white vinegar to four parts water mixture. Follow the vinegar wash with 3 thorough rinses with warm to hot water before refilling.

Tags: bird watching, hummingbirds