Saturday 14 April 2012

Hummingbirds are going to be early!


I loved this feeder.
Busted it this past month!



This is a great site, where they are mapping sightings of these birds. You can compare 2011 sightings with 2012.

It's called Journey North, and it is a great learning tool for kids 8 to 80!
I'm not sure if it is a non-profit, but it appears to be so. I checked out the site-map and it wasn't clear. It is free to participate, which is the important thing for me!


Journey North engages students in a global study of wildlife migration and seasonal change. K-12 students share their own field observations with classmates across North America. They track the coming of spring through the migration patterns of monarch butterflies,robinshummingbirdswhooping cranesgray whalesbald eagles— and other birds and mammals; the budding of plants; changing sunlight; and other natural events. Find migration mapspictures, standards-based lesson plans, activities and information to help students make local observations and fit them into a global context. Widely considered a best-practices model for education, Journey North is the nation's premiere "citizen science" project for children. The general public is welcome to participate.


To clean your bird feeder DO NOT USE SOAP! Use vinegar and water and shake it in the feeder. If there is mold in it, then add some grains of rice that will scrub it.


Just for fun: a hummingbird moth!
hummingbird moth!

    Difficult to photograph!
    Hummingbird Nectar Recipe
  • 1 part sugar to 4 parts water (e.g., i cup sugar, 4 of water)
  • Boil the mixture for 5 minutes to kill bacteria
  • Let cool and store excess in refrigerator until ready to use.
  • Thoroughly clean the feeder by rinsing with one part white vinegar to four parts water.
  • Do this weekly after the feeder is up and going, especially in hot weather.
  • Check to see if the nectar is cloudy, which could mean (deadly) bacteria.
  • If the feeder is visibly dirty, add a few grains of dry rice to the vinegar solution to help scrub it clean, as an abrasive.
  • Rinse out the vinegar wash by rinsing three times with clear, warm water before refilling with sugar solution.
  • Do not add: food coloring, honey (which ferments), or artificial sweetener, which has no nutritional value.

Visit more C.C. here! #210

18 comments:

Carletta said...

Wonderful pics!
I keep thinking with everything else spring being early that yes the hummingbirds would be. I'm still waiting.
They are such a wonderful bird to watch.
What a shame about your broken feeder. It was quite unique.

TexWisGirl said...

sweet shots of these tiny guys. :)

Olga said...

That's neat--to track the migration. The hummingbirds usually show up here around mid May and practically knock on the back door to remind us about putting up the feeder.
Did the hummers use that favorite feeder? I have tried fancy ones and they seem to be ignored in favlor of the same old clear glass with plastic flowers around the bottom.

EG CameraGirl said...

I'm sooo looking forward to the return of the hummingbirds!

Lina Gustina said...

Awesome bird shots. Love it :)

http://www.1sthappyfamily.com/2012/04/pink-fish.html

Anonymous said...

Beautiful little birds! I'm waiting for them.

Anonymous said...

Lovely. Missed you. Will get my pole outside soon. I bought a new one...two sided. One for flowers, one for HB feeder. I like your recipe and directions. Lovely birds. Did you see my tulips today? gin
p.s. sorry about your beautiful feeder getting busted.

Red said...

Hummingbirds are rather tough little critters. Most go south fairly early but you do find them around later in the fall. Awesome shots of the feisty little guys.

Cheryl said...

I find these difficult to photograph too. Nice job finding that hummingbird moth.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

So sweet -- love em all -- cute that you included the hb moth too!

Linda said...

Great shots of the hummingbirds! I also love that shot of the hummingbird moth. I have only seen one once or twice, so it was nice to see the photo!

Powell River Books said...

That's a great site. Thanks for the link. - Margy

Maude Lynn said...

Marvelous shots!

Kathy said...

Great photos. Yes, they are difficult to photograph!

Brian King said...

Great shots, Jenn! We haven't seen hummingbirds yet, but they should make an appearance soon.

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous humming bird shots!

Roan said...

Beautiful shots of these busy little fellas, and enjoyed reading the facts. Plan to pull up that website, my grands would probably enjoy participating.

Pia said...

I love your shots of the hummingbirds. So special and nice! Wish I had some of these wonderful birds here. But I am very happy to have the Humminbird Moth.