Friday, May 6, 2011

Hummingbird!

This morning I saw my first hummingbird of the year!  (That's not it, that photo is from last summer.)  Others reported hummers in Michigan since early April.  I replaced my broken feeder, boiled up some sugar water, and then waited.  And waited.

I did notice that the water level was going down -- but the storms and wind might have been responsible for that.  At least that's what I thought. 

Until this morning!

I sat on the back step, drinking my coffee with Luke warming my lap.  Suddenly, ZIP!  BUZZ!  And there helicoptering around the feeder... a hummer!  It drank and drank, then zipped over to the clothesline and perched for a minute.  How I wished I had my binoculars in hand.  Or my camera.  But all I had was a cup of delicious coffee, much needed after last night's Cinco de Mayo margarita. 

Oops, that's another story.

After a rest on the clothesline, the hummer zipped back to the feeder and then off across the yard.  Where did it go?  I hope to tell the other hummers it's time to get back to Busy Solitude Farm!

Can summer be far off?

3 comments:

greelyrita said...

That is fabulous. It's too early here for any hummers (Ottawa, Canada). Since maybe you know about this, is sugar water the best thing to feed them? Wouldn't maple sap for example be less processed and more nutritious? What do hummers eat if we don't feed them? I'm not being critical, just wondering. Clearly sugar water works but maybe it's like McD's. Know what I mean?

Johanna said...

Hummers naturally eat nectar from flowers.

I have no idea about maple syrup vs. sugar! Traditionally you make sugar water with about a 4:1 ratio of water:sugar, boiled until it's totally melted through.

It may well be a special treat for the hummers, but remember they use tons of energy keeping those wings going, so they need lots of calories. I don't think they get the majority of their calories from feeders, it's just a supplement like seeds are to other birds.

And for the opportunity to see them up close, I don't mind "tossing them a biscuit" so to speak!

--Johanna

The JR said...

We have a few sometimes, but not very many in my yard.

They fight over the flowers.