Feeding the Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds defend their food sources aggressively. We place several feeders (front and back yards) to reduce the fights. They migrate great distances for their size. We feed them to help them out. Their behaviors are fun to watch, especially their mating display. These fearless little birds will fly close to your face and "buzz" at you when you take down THEIR feeders to refill them.

If you provide them with a stable food source, they will return to your feeders every year. Place your feeders in a shaded spot to keep away wasps (attracted to the sugar). There are websites to track the hummingbirds' annual migration. We leave the feeders out until late Fall for any stragglers.

The bird's little tongue is seen as it gorges on the nectar.	We took down the feeder to refill it. The bird saw us putting the feeder back and didn't waste a minute to come down from the tree. It didn't let us hang the feeder!

My feeder! Mine! Mine! Mine! Fighting for the feeder. (turn up the volume!)	In the Fall, when they are getting ready to migrate, they squeeze out the last drops of nectar, searching each flower.

Purple-throat (black-chinned) hummingbird at the window feeder. Caught in a "freak" late-Spring snowstorm. Lucky we had the feeders out!

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