We have used sugar beet sugar for over 50 yrs now & the Hummers / Baltimore & Orchard Orioles love it. As I’m typing this I can see over a dozen birds at the feeders. Also use Grape Jelly in the empty oranges that are cut in half. Even the Grosbeaks enjoy the oranges / grape jelly. From Huron County Michigan, stay safe & sound. Enjoy the great outdoors !!!
I'm in the Willamette Valley of Oregon and I've had an upright fuchsia in a back corner. The blooms are purple and pink and the hummingbirds love it. The best part is it's been there at least 15 years and once it starts blooming it goes into fall and comes back every year
This was an excellent video on many levels, but the way it was edited made the information flow along without any dead time. Great job, great video, thank you
We raise Plumerias and Orchids. We also have two all year around blooming Orange Cape Honeysuckle. The honeysuckle keeps them around but we have also found out that hummingbirds are the only animal that can pollinate our Plumeria because of the flowers deep throat which is so tight bees cannot crawl down into the flowers. The bees also can eat of that Honeysuckle though, which at times I have seen at least a dozen bees flying around working the flowers.. Right now we have our back indoor sun room filled with over a dozen Orchids all blooming at the same time. Last week I was in that room and our friendly humming bird could see the orchids and look right at me as if wondering why it couldn't get to THOSE FLOWERS AS WELL. It only stayed less than ten seconds but I could tell exactly what it was thinking because it wasn't five inches from the glass looking in at the orchids. There have been other times I was sure it recognizes me because it will zoom down within two feet of me as if asking for water or some such amendment. Our neighbor wanted us to cut our Orange Cape Honeysuckle way back and I said NO because it is the winter food for the humming birds. We tried feeders to no avail because the hummies didn't like the stuff we were using, but our neighbor has them eating out of his all the time he says.
Honeysuckle and Red Hot Pokers are two spring blooming flowers our hummers love. I was standing next to one the other day and a hummer took his time feeding. I was easily within arms reach and it did not scare him away.
Excellent tips, I'll have to try a few of the plants you mentioned. I advised a woman one day in a nursery, of buying a Buddleia, I said "Look around, these grow everywhere, drive around with a shovel and bucket in your car, save yourself some money, they are incredibly easy to grow." The Ruby-Throated birds stay around all year, we even see them when there is snow on the ground (which was a surprise to me) I live in Vancouver, Canada
I saw a hummingbird hovering in my window for a few minutes and I was upset that I couldn’t take a picture in time. I have never seen a hummingbird in my house let alone in my window. I live in Saudi and there aren’t any flowers in my window either! It did make me very happy to see it as it was so colorful and beautiful although very thin and small. It was then chased by a bigger bird into the trees, I haven’t seen it since. I put a bunch of red stuff in my window now and a little jasmine plant and some sugar water and set up my camera in case it ever comes back. I hope it does. It was a very unusual occurrence for me.
I have Cardinal Flower, Red Penstemon, 2 Red Bee Balm (Monarda didyma--Jacob Kline & Gardenview Scarlet), Scarlet Sage, Mina lobata, Hummingbird Mint, Crocosmia Lucifer, Eastern Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), Red Coral Bells, Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans), plus a few other Columbines & annual Salvia varieties this year.
I'm in San Diego I now have 3 feeders. I have 1 about 25' away and 2 hooked up to my canopy where I sit. And one of them I hang a few feet from my head. I have a pair of hummingbirds that feed off one nearest me. It's so fun to watch and listen to them close up.
My mom used to live in San Marcos and we would fill up 4 of her feeders. You get so many of them on their way to and from Mexico. It's one of the only times I've seen that many hummingbirds work and coordinate together to drink instead of fighting.
Left out of this video, however incredibly important, is being absolutely certain your feeder stays clean. The sugar water ferments very quickly and creates fungus. The fungus gives the birds disease and kills them. Their tongue swells from the disease and they die. Put only enough nectar in your feeder for a day. Keep feeders in the shade. Clean very carefully with warm water and toothbrush everyday. Clean toothbrush.
Jay Cee Bee boil water and sugar, one part sugar to four parts water, cool, and put in hummingbird feeder. Clean at least once a week. Put extra in fridge to use later. Will keep up to a week or two in fridge.
Your sincerity and enthusiasm bubble over with your presentation. Hummingbirds are so lucky to have you as an admirer. If ever i win a lottery or inheritance that would enable me to purchase an estate..you would be the first to call and given full license to create 'hummingbird heaven'. All the best sweet lady.
Ich habe heute wirklich doof geguckt als ich aus dem Fenster sah un vor meiner roten Begonie etwas herumschwirrte. Zuerst hielt ich es für eine Hornisse, aber nach kurzer Betrachtung konnte ich erkennen dass es ein Kolibri war. Er war noch kleiner als ich sie mir vorstellte. Morgen baue ich sofort eine Fütterungsstation, und bereite das Futter vor. Ich bin total gespannt ob er zurück kommt und vielleicht irgendwann mehr kommen, schließlich bin ich aus Wien in Österreich, nicht gerade das klassische Kolibri Land. Danke für die tollen Infos! 😍
Another hummingbird magnet is "Wheeler's Honeysuckle". It's a vine that grows thickly to about ten feet. Not to be confused with the very invasive honeysuckle bush thanklessly brought here from Europe.
i have that yellow one those were from japan & korea i think not from europe..i had planted a small unrooted cutting of one along my driveway fence when my son was 4 & insisted i grow the plant..it didnt do anything for years & years then it started to grow very slowly but just today I was out gathering tasty weeds for my chinchilla when i saw that that honeysuckle has somehow grown and is invading that whole side of my yard..im going to dig that up all it does is draw bees anyway right to my driveway..its been there 11 yrs so im sort of surprised that its taken it so long to show its invasive tendencies hummingbirds love red or orange trumpet vines too I have one of those its been growing for several years yet never has had one flower...im leaving it alone hoping one day it will just suddenly burst into growth like that invasive honeysuckle did..trumpet vine is supposed to grow 40 feet mine barely reaches the top of my fence but at least its still alive i just dont get WHY its not covering my entire fence & growing up my ugly neighbors garage thats why i planted it there hoping a 40 ft vine would grow up the side of that abandoned garage & cover its ugly ..i had a different red trumpet vine thats a more common variety that grew in a year & by year 2 was about 20 feet tall covered in blooms..maybe the more common variety is more robust
There are many types of honeysuckle native to the United States. Wheeler is a hybrid using native species. There are native and non-native trumpet vines. The Asian species have larger flowers and smaller vines.
Lol! exact same experience on 11May21. I said to my husband,... “gotta get my feeders out; hummers will be here soon.” Got side tracked, forgot and the next thing I knew....my husband was telling me...”oh oh hummingbird just showed up!” I had to scramble to get both feeders up before they went else where. Later, he flew right up to me, hovered as though to say.....”don’t let this happen again!!!” Its amazing how indignant they can be!!!!😤
I have several of those that the hummer's love. If you have room to grow annual vines, I've also had good luck with Cardinal Climber. The vine can grow like crazy in the sun, but the little red blooms look like and are about 1/2 the size of of Morning Glories. There is also a type of Salvia which is a true blue color, called 'Black & Blue' Salvia, which my hummingbirds in central Ohio (also zone 5) will go to faster than the red Salvias that you see everywhere. Then you always need a fuschia hanging plant, usually in a partly shady area. I've noticed that the combination of feeders and flowers will usually keep bees and wasps busy with flowers, and away from the feeders. If the bees get too interested, remove the feeder for a couple of hours or move it a few feet away and they seem to forget about it.
The Rubythroat Hummingbirds that we have up here in New Hampshire love the Cardinal Flower that I planted in my yard. They like the red ones the best. But, weirdly enough, they are also addicted to the Jewel Weed that grows in my yard and is an invasive nuisance! So, I leave some around for them as the unwanted ones are easy to pull out. They can't seem to get enough of them when they are in bloom! They also love my hanging Fuchsia that I buy every year.
Axess2084 You are so right about the hummingbirs loving the Jewel Weed. I leave large amounts of it where it doesn't matter if it spreads, and as you said, the unwanted ones are quite easy to pull out, so they're not really a problem. And if the little beauties want it, it's going to be on the menu for them around here. ;)
Nice job. I see this was done years ago and I'm in BC Canada - - but I'm betting the hummers are still going for these varieties - just a matter of finding what does well locally - but this is a great start! Thanks.
My hummers love Crocosmia, beautiful plant, easy to grow, and hummers love the flowers on them. I also have hummingbird mint and a large butterfly bush
My wife came home with a shrimp plant from the local nursery. They love it. I'm in zone 7 and these thrive better in zone 9. So when the temperature starts dropping I'm going bring it in for the winter and hope it survives until next spring.
I use one cup of water and 1/4 cup of sugar per feeder. I bring it just to a boil then pour it into a large bowl to let it cool. We have filtered spring water which should be alright, but I bring it to a boil just to be safe for the tiny beauties. I hang feeders in the shade for the nectar's sake and bring them in to wash every two or three days. I put a tiny bit of Clorox in the wash water and make sure I rinse the feeders very well.
Only use cane sugar to make nectar. They won't drink nectar made with beet sugar. It IS best to boil your nectar because it keeps the nectar from going bad for a full 24 hours longer than if not boiled. I have only one hummingbird so refilling the feeder every day is totally wasteful even though I have a wonderful HummZinger saucer feeder. Love that my HummZinger does not attract bees and wasps which my first feeder did and it is no longer used.
I have only about 5 hummers, and I fill my feeder about every 2 days, and, I just don't fill it full. That way, I don't waste as much nectar. Don't have to fill feeders full.
They love Pentas also. I had dark red flowered ones. There are white, lite pink, pink, and burgandy plants. Mine bloomed every yr. Frost got em some but cut that back & its yr after yr pretty.
The climbing Trumpet vines are the most favourite in my yard. They climb up the side of my bungalow and onto the roof. The Hummers’ and bees absolutely love this vine. Mine is orange but I believe they also come in a red as well.
I plant black and blue Salvia every year. They can't decide if they like the feeder or these flowers more. They bloom all season in full to partial sun.
Since I saw yellow jackets (wasps) chase the hummingbirds away from their feeder I now only use feeders with bee guards on them. If it doesn't have bee guards, I don't buy it. The wasps check them out, can't reach the nectar and don't bother to return. End of problem for the little hummers.
It's easy to add an ant moat to any feeder. For a couple of dollars, they're worth their weight in gold. Keep them filled though. The ants have learned patience to wait for the water to dry or they'll invade and spoil the nectar.
Hey I was going to go with feeders and make my own nectar for the hummingbirds but i saw way too many things that could go wrong and so i'm just going to go the natural way (I encourage everybody else to do this also) So its a organic way for them to get what they need
Some of you may already know this information but those of you who don't should know one important thing about planting Buddleia (Butterfly Bush) in your yard/garden, they are very invasive. They have quite a bad reputation with regards to overtaking native species of plants. They are prohibited in many states due to this nasty habit. If you want to plant these beautiful shrubs in your landscape do some research as there are many cultivators that are sterile, non-invasive and pose no threat to native species. I have planted in my front garden Buddleia Buzz Sky Blue( 3-4 feet) and some larger "Buzz" bushes in my back hummingbird/butterfly garden all which is sterile. I would never want be without one of these lovely bushes in my gardens. I just want to make sure I'm not hurting the environment around me by introducing something that would end up hurting or destroying it instead if enhancing it🌸
My rabbits ate the tops of my butterfly bush. I'm hoping to get another one this spring but I have to put wire mash around it so the rabbits don't snack on it.
I have a trumpet vine, and it brings the hummingbird 'round big time! Not sure why this wasn't included, except perhaps that it tends to grow into a tree! :)
Yes, they are quite invasive, but my husband takes care of that end of things so I just alert him when I see something poke up through the grass or flowers. :) @@gailwilliams5278
I boil the water to make sure it’s free from bacteria. Add the sugar then bottle it up. If boiling is too much work, get a water filter to purify the water. Clean them every two days if temps are under 80. Everyday if it’s over 80. If you place feeders out of the direct sunlight, the nectar will stay fresh longer!
Thank you for that tip! What say you on the boiling the feeder solution question? I want to feed them with a natural flower diet, but would like to attract them to the garden while the plants are getting established enough to produce flowers…
In San Francisco Calif, I grow Yerba Buena Mint (once called Saturea Douglasii) which attract ladybugs, which eat aphids and other nasty creatures. My front porch no longer harbor flies.
Zhonguoria Hi from southern california. do you think i can plant the yerba buena by or in the same pots with Milkweed? Went shopping at my local latin market Northgate and they had 4" pots 2 for $5. Is that a good deal?
I boil my nectar for 2 reasons. One,the boiling will kill yeast spores in the sugar,slowing the fermentation of the sugarwater.Two,boiling kills certain minerals and fluoride in tap water. The Hummers will contaminate the water,regardless of any process used to keep nectar pure. It's best to clean feeders once or twice a week thoroughly. Please do not use red food coloring or any sugar but pure white cane. No honey either. Honey contains bacteria that the birds can't digest. Be vigilant with cleaning your feeders and always use fresh nectar. The store bought is garbage. It is true that yellow attracts wasps and bees. Why HB feeder manufacturers make ones with yellow ports is absurdly mystifying.
first off your pretty, I'm just now getting into hummingbirds,been watching my feeder but still no birds, so I'm watching your video to try to understand hummingbirds
Little as these hummers be, they are a FEISTY BUNCH!!! No wonder my meshika ancestors named their War God after them, that'd be Huitzilopochtli, pronounced: Wheat-zi-low-posh-lee.
Thank you so much for the flower info !! Photographed ruby throats recently and they 1 flower they were allllllll over was that funk bright violet looking 🌺… this is a big help as a am planning on turning my backyard with plenty of these flowers. Do u recommend that the be bear a perch ?
I live in Michigan and I am planning on my first hummingbird Garden I plan on planting honeysuckle and morning glories in the background in the middle I'm looking at bee balm and maybe columbines,not sure what else because I'm looking for plants that grow 2 feet to 4 ft tall and in the front I plan on planting petunias and impatients and snapdragons. Do you have any suggestions on an additional perennial that grows two to four feet tall for the middle of the garden? I plan on growing them in clusters.
Hummer nestlings need to eat bugs for protein, which of course takes mom a great deal of time catching. Once they fledge, they're are fine sipping from feeders, as well as flowers. Mom will only tolerate them and share a feeder for a short period of time after they leave the nest. It's all about competing for food.
mary birder if you watch closely on the day they first fledge...all the adult hummingbirds will back off and let them drink. It takes 8-12hrs for them to fully gain their balance and maneuver fully and then all family ties are off and they are on their own. Depending on the type of hummingbird the mating ritual may be repeated and a second and sometimes third clutch of eggs are hatched
Good information, but I’d like to drill down a little further. What type of water would be best? I know many municipal water supplies are full of Chlorine and bromides. How harmful are these to hummer? Or is bottled distilled water a safer bet? (Incidentally, even I don’t drink my city’s water.)
What growing conditions. I see these flowers in the catalogs all the time but I don't have hope they'll work in Arizona. Creeping trumpet vine chokes out everything else in a garden bed. Deers think that butterfly bush are yummy
How about salvias. I'm here in New Mexico and salvia gregii (Autumn sage or cherry sage) is not only native but grows like a weed here. There are a lot of native sages that'll grow in Arizona (azure Grand grandiflora, Rock sage, mountain sage, pitcher sage). Try justica ( desert honeysuckle), anascanthus, desert willow.
Funny, neither the deer, groundhogs or rabbits have ever bothered my buddleias here in IL. I could give you a pretty long list of things which they'll eat with gusto, however, which is why I use Liquid Fence. Try it, it works. Your garden smells atrocious until it dries- which probably wouldn't be anymore than a minute or two in AZ, and continues to smell bad to the animals even after it dries. It doesn't deter hummers, BTW; they couldn't care less.
Hi thanks for the video. What did you do for the hummer feeders in this current hot weather in Idaho? Curious. No amount of shade kept my feeders liquid cool. There was no way I was going to potentially harm the hummer. Thanks
Butterfly bush is an extremely invasive nnon-native plant in the NW, and caution should be used in planting it. There are better alternatives that aren't invasive.