A Mothers’ Day Gift:

The Experience of Putting Up Hummingbird Feeders

In the last ten years you may have heard that it’s not the actual gift that matters most to someone, but the experience of the gift that is meaningful.

Well, how does giving and setting up hummingbird feeders sound? Picture the experience. Mother sits with a cup of coffee in her favorite chair watching as the kids assemble everything!

But first a little bit about hummingbirds themselves.

They are amazing flyers!

Hummingbirds are small, fast and known for their ability to hover, fly backwards and upside down. They are native to the Americas and belong to the family, Trochilidae. There are over 300 species of hummingbirds with the smallest weighing 1.95 grams or the weight of a nickel!

Their wings beat so fast – up to 55 times per second- that they create a loud humming sound. The wings appear blurred when you watch them. When they dive they beat their wings around 200 times a second!

If you have ever had one buzz by your head, it is startling to feel the wind off the wings and hear their loud hum. Most people duck and whimper.

Important Pollinators

Their long needle-like beaks can reach deep into the throat of a flower. Because of their high metabolism they eat often, consuming nectar and pollen. Pollination happens when the bird carries pollen from flower to flower, and positions the pollen upon the male (stamen) and female (pistil)parts so it can reproduce. Without pollen, flowers would be once and done!

They Rest

Hummingbirds sleep a deep sleep called Tupor. Their metabolism slows down and temperature drops to conserve energy. They sleep either in the day or night.

These tiny birds live from 3-5 years, but can live as long as 7 years.

Hummers will get Up Close and Personal

My dear friend who I view as the ‘Hummingbird Queen’ puts one feeder up in May then adds 2 more feeders by July. Hummingbirds associate people with the place of the feeder and person feeding them. She would play trust games with the hovering birds by holding a feeder in her hand and letting and hummingbirds land on it to drink. Maybe your ‘ mom’ getting the feeder on Mothers’ Day would like to try that!

Last year my ‘Queen of the Hummingbirds’ friend doctored a little bird that she heard hit her window. It lay lifeless on the ground as she raced to help it. She picked it up and brought the feeder to it. The bird woke up, and slowly sipped the nectar. As it felt better it sat drunkenly on her finger, then flew off.

Let’s Set Up the Feeders!

Let’s start in with Mothers’ Day morning. Luckily, I have my enthusiastic nephews Brandon (right) and Ryan (left) who are going to demonstrate in visual terms how to successfully set up their mom’s new feeders.

First, they will help open the packages and remove the two feeders and two poles enclosed.

It’s always good to have 2 feeders set up at least a few yards away from each other. Hummingbirds can be aggressive when they want food. They will fight other hummingbirds to get dibs on the nectar you provide.

With only one feeder, a bully hummer may scare a lot of hungry friends away. Whoever set up these feeders is really avoiding bullying!

Next Brandon and Ryan will find the best window or an outside spot like off a terrace from which to watch the exceptional flyers when they eat. It is best to find a shady spot that doesn’t get a lot of hot sun. If the spot is shady it means the nectar doesn’t get too hot and doesn’t need to be changed as often. Anyplace you can easily look and see these amazing birds fly to feeders, hover, and sip away is great.

Ryan and Brandon install their feeder a bit away from their deck. You can see the deck steps in the background.

Sometimes the ground is a little hard to stab with the feeder pole. These guys really put their weight and determination behind it!

The hummingbird food

Next up is to make the hummingbird food. You can buy food pre-made, but it is super expensive. The ratio for hummer food is 1 part white granulated/pure sugar to 4 parts water.

Someone helped Brandon and Ryan stir this blend over the stove until the sugar dissolved. They waited til the nectar cooled then put the cooled nectar carefully into the feeder.

Ants will definitely try to climb up the pole and invade the nectar. You fill the deep hole in the center of the feeder with water, so the ants drown before eating from and polluting the nectar water.

It is good to make more nectar you need so you can store it in the fridge and refill often without gong through the stovetop process. Just make sure the food is close to room temperature before you put it in the feeder.

Fill the feeder by lifting off the top, sliding it down the center of the metal hook, and then snapping it closed.

Hummingbirds will remember where the food was from last year and will return year after year. Your first year may take a little longer for them to find your feeder. By mid summer though you should have multiple birds whizzing by. Brandon and Ryan are putting the other feeder closer to the deck later.

Thanks to Brandon and Ryan for giving us a photo shot of the process. I am sure your guys’ present will be a big hit this Mothers’ Day!

Christie lives in Manakin Sabot , Virginia where she manages a 3 acre garden. Her blogs are written from her 35 years as a personal and professional gardener.