The Garden Hummingbird

Hurricane Hummingbirds

Wonderful video of Hungry Hummingbirds swarming feeders after hurricane Gustav. Video from St. Francisville, LA, just north of Baton Rouge.

 

 

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To Feed Or Not To Feed, That Is The Question?

The weather is changing and we are beginning to feel fall in the air. When seasons change, people make changes as well. One thing they might do is take down their Hummingbird Garden Feeder, but should they? Here is a very informative article from The Daily News of Richmond Missouri that addresses this very question.

http://www.richmond-dailynews.com/outdoors.php?id=1921

Rufous Hummingbird

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Holly Springs Hummingbird Migration Festival

It’s amazing that such a small beautiful creature like the Garden Hummingbird can inspire something so wonderful. This event is changing the lives of children in rural Mississippi. Education truly is the key to change.

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Choosing A New Garden Feeder

You may find yourself very busy filling your Garden Hummingbird Feeders right now. Many hummers are migrating and that means they are filling up on nectar to help them make this grand journey. If you have many hummers, then you may already have more than one garden feeder. In some areas, one feeder is just not enough. Having a variety of feeders can assist with feeding multiple hummers as well as cut down on any aggression from some of the male hummers and they can be aggressive towards each other. Especially when there is food involved. In addition to being useful, the garden feeder can also be a very ornate part of your garden and your garden design. There are many new styles to choose from. Some are traditional and simple, while others are a work of art.

Before choosing a new garden feeder, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Where will I Place it, hanging or post?
2. How hard is the feeder to maintain?
3. Will it compliment my garden?
4. What have others said about this feeder, are there any reviews?
5. Do I need more than one feeder?

Listed below are a few of the top Hummingbird Garden Feeders that you may want to consider for your garden.

Click on any picture to see further garden feeder reviews and designs.

Basic/Simple/Traditional

Co/Product Name: Perky Pet Hummingbird Feeders
Pros: Attracts Hummers, No Bees, and Large Variety of Styles
Cons: Some variations are harder to clean and may leak, read reviews
Est. Price Range: $5.00-$22.00

New Age Design/Ant Mote/Easy Clean

Co/Product Name: Aspects Hummingbird Hummzinger
Pros: Easy Clean, Attracts Hummers, No Bees, And Built In Ant Mote
Cons: Design can attract larger birds that perch, read reviews
Est. Price Range: $13.00-$30.00

Ornate/Hand Designed/Elaborate

Co/Product Name: Various Companies
Pros: Attracts Hummers, Beautifully Crafted, Many Blown Glass Styles, And Unique Designs
Cons: Some variations are harder to clean, read reviews
Est. Price Range: $11.00-$55.00

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School Children‘s Garden Declared National Wildlife Habitat

Many children will start back to school this week full of excitement for the new school year. Here is an inspiring idea for the many wonderful teachers that are already planning their creative curriculum.

According to an article in The Meadville Tribune, part of the school curriculum at Seton Catholic School is a quant little garden, cared for by fifth graders. It started as a bird sanctuary, but soon became an all-out wildlife habitat. It’s not a typical garden. All of the plants are functional year-round, providing food for a host of animals including the garden hummingbird. The garden was recently declared a National Wildlife Habitat. The students will be creating another new area soon. The new area will feature native wildflowers which will serve as a source of pollinators for hummingbirds and hummingbird moths, as well as all kinds of “good” insects. The students create and maintain the area, filling garden feeders and even heating water for the birdbaths, encouraging the birds to return. This unique, hands-on learning opportunity encourages students to care about nature and the environment. What a wonderful addition to traditional curriculum.

The full article can be read at: http://www.meadvilletribune.com/local/local_story_244220000.html?start:int=0

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Garden Feeders Help The Migrating Hummingbird

Garden Feeders can be very important to the migrating hummingbird. One thing that is crucial to the garden hummingbirds successful journey is that they are well nourished, full of nectar. By supplying them with fresh, full garden feeders, you are assisting in the migration process. Many people have experienced the feeding frenzy of the garden hummingbird just before migration. It is a site to see. The videos below are wonderful examples of several hummers feeding at once, enjoy.

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Hummingbird Migration

By: George Steiner

Specific hummingbird migration patterns differ by species and habitats, but there are a few common points linking the different species? migration habits.

All hummingbirds migrate because of the hormonal changes within their bodies which are set off by changes in the length of daylight. This tells the birds when it is time to fly south for the winter.

Where they migrate to depends on the individual bird, but in general, most humming birds winter in Mexico. Some winter as far north as southern California across to Florida, and some journey all the way down to Panama.

In preparation for the big migration, they make sure they pack themselves full of nectar and insects. Such a small bird has to be strong to make such a long flight. Also, when humming birds make this incredible journey, they prefer to travel alone. Unlike geese or ducks, traveling in large groups doesn?t increase their chances of survival. Only one bird can feed off of a flower at a time, so waiting for every bird to feed would be a hassle and waste precious time. Also, humming birds are so small that predators usually ignore them anyways, so traveling in large groups offers no extra protection. Just because hummers travel alone, however, does not mean that you will not see more than one humming bird at a time; after all, several may be traveling at the same time and cross paths on their journeys.

They typically travel during the day and rest up at night, except in special situations like that of the ruby-throated hummingbird, which travels over the Gulf of Mexico. It takes more than one daylight for them to make it across, so the birds must fly through the night until land is reached.

A journey from the northern United States to the gulf coast would take anywhere from 5-10 days depending on how often they stop to rest. If they travel down to Panama it usually takes about 2 weeks. Hummingbirds remain in warmer climates until it is time for them to fly north again and mate.

This springtime migration is usually a little bit faster since the females are ready to get started nesting. Again, the hummers pack on a lot of weight for the flight, timing their departure so that they will arrive when the flowering plants are first blooming. Males arrive first and then females anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks later. Males claim their territories and wait for the females, doing fancy flight displays to lure them into their territory. Hummingbirds waste no time in starting their nesting process.

When fall rolls around, they start to fly south again, and the process repeats itself. The hummers are always in danger when traveling: lack of food, storms, unknown predators, windows?. These guys have to expect anything, and the distances they fly earn them the highest respects considering how small and vulnerable they are.

Hope you enjoyed the article!

George & Judy Steiner [http://www.hum-ming-bird.com]www.hum-ming-bird.com

George and wife Judy are empty nesters (ah ha no wonder the affinity for birds!)who enjoy the outdoors, stained glass and eagerly awaiting for the truckloads of laundry that their two college daughters bring home. Of recent, the internet has played an integral part in George’s lengthening “To Do” list and Judy’s search for a internet rehabilitation center.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=George_Steiner http://EzineArticles.com/?Hummingbird-Migration&id=49853

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Making Homemade Nectar For Your Garden Feeder

Hummingbirds can go through quite a bit of nectar during a season. It is very easy to make your own nectar. The recipe is simply 1 part sugar to 4 parts boiled water. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my Girl Scouts made homemade nectar as part of a service project. I found this video that shows exactly how we made our own nectar, so I thought I would share it.

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Creative Recycled Garden Feeder

I just discovered this terrific video of a garden hummingbird using a homemade garden feeder. This is a very creative garden feeder made completely from recycled items. What a great idea and such a nice video.

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Easy To Make Garden Feeders For Your Garden Hummingbird

Garden Feeders can be made from several different items. From simple to elaborate, your Garden Hummingbird will not care. The most important thing will be ease of use and access to nectar. With this in mind, items like small vials, insulin bottles, plastic bottles and even baby food jars can be used to create beautiful Garden Feeders. The nice thing about making your own feeders is that you are most likely recycling an item for a different purpose. Just last year my Girl Scouts each created several small Garden Feeders. They were made with baby food jars. Each one was unique, decorated with anything and everything RED. We used paint, ribbon, beads, sequins, rhinestones, small red silk flowers and anything else we could find in our homes. The only cost for this project was heavy gage wire, which is very reasonable. The wire was used to create a hanger for the garden feeder. This was a recycling service project for the girls. After the garden feeders were completed, they were donated to local senior centers and convalescent homes. Each garden feeder came with one bottle of homemade nectar, also made by the girls and instructions for creating more. The girls really enjoyed the project and if these girls can make their own feeders, so can you!

Baby Food Jar Garden Feeders:

Materials:
1 clean baby food jar
Red adornments

Steps:
Adults should do this step
Using a nail or ice pick, poke a 1/8 inch hole in the lid of the baby food jar.
Decorate the jar with beautiful red adornments
Using heavy gage wire, create a hanger. Wrap around the lid area.
Fill the jars with homemade nectar.
Enjoy….

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