Guess Who’s on Their Way to Your House?

Don’t you agree that spring is an amazing time of year? Yes, it’s true that coronavirus has changed the world for us humans this spring, but the animals are continuing on with their lives, in the same way they have for millions of years. This is something we can take comfort in.

One part of spring that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE is the return of “my” beloved hummingbirds. Watching these tiny birds brings me such joy! Last year in addition to 7 nectar feeders, I also added tons of perennials to our yard. Cardinal flower, bee balm, crocosmia, lilies, salvia, agastache and many more flowers created a haven for these small birds, as well as butterflies, moths, bees and other birds. No matter how hectic my day, or how depressing the news, it was always possible to just go outside for a few minutes and watch them darting about like mini helicopters. After, I always feel renewed.

In the early spring, before the birds arrive, I make sure to have the feeders out and ready so when the birds DO get here, they will find food and a welcoming spot to set up shop. I often add red ribbons to my feeders in the spring because I want to have as much red as possible to catch the bird’s eye. (Never use red dye though as this may be harmful to the birds!) Once the birds are obviously coming to my feeders, I just take down the red ribbons.

I have been keeping records of the day they show up (and leave in the fall) to my yard for many years now. Usually here where I live in western North Carolina they arrive somewhere around the first week of April, but there is a map that shows the hummingbird migration each year and I can see that the birds have been spotted already in my state. So maybe this year they will arrive early! If you live south of North Carolina, they are probably already back in your area!

You can check out the map and see when they might arrive where you live. And then, like me, you can dust off your hummingbird feeders and hang them up and wait with great anticipation for them to show up.

The best feeders are those that come apart so they can be throughly cleaned, provide a spot for the birds to rest, and don’t have any yellow on them, as yellow has a tendency to attract bees. Also, the ones with built in ant moats are great, or you can add that separately.

Fill them with one part plain-old-white sugar to four parts water.

I use warm or hot water, mix mine up in a pitcher and store it in the fridge. There is no need to boil the water and PLEASE, do not use anything other than plain, granulated, white sugar. (Studies have shown the use of raw or turbinado sugar, which is unprocessed sugar, may cause a build-up of iron in the birds which can be harmful. Raw sugar has up to 5 TIMES AS MUCH IRON, as plain white sugar and is too much for the tiny birds, who can DIE from this buildup! You can read more about that here.)

Want to learn more about hummingbirds? Check out my past posts about them including 10 Things You Might Not Know, perennials that attract hummers, and The relationship between hummingbirds and yellow-bellied sapsuckers,

Are you seeing hummers yet where you live? Are you happy to have them back? What is your favorite flower for attracting hummingbirds to your yard? If you want, I’d love to hear from you! Use the comment box below share your thoughts.