On Fri, 18 Jul 2014 08:09:47 -0700, "Cheri" >
wrote:

>
>"Julie Bove" > wrote in message
...
>>
>> "Cheri" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>>
>>> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> On 7/17/2014 5:00 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
>>>>> On 2014-07-17 4:54 PM, Susan wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> One, just ONCE, I'd kill to see ONE!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On vacation, the moment I left the porch of a b and b we were in, Tom
>>>>>> saw one. I got that close.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I'm thinking of making a hummingbird/butterfly garden inside a barrier
>>>>>> we installed after removing an invasive bamboo grove.
>>>>>> There's also trumpet vine climbing around the back wall there, so
>>>>>> maybe...
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>> If you want to see hummingbirds you should plant lots of the sorts of
>>>>> flowers that attract then, especially flowers with trumpet shapes. We
>>>>> often see them around the Rose of Sharon, day lilies and sun flowers.
>>>>>
>>>> Hummingbirds have very far ranges of migration, too. Of course it
>>>> depends on which coast in the Americas you're on as to which types of
>>>> hummingbirds you can attract. The right (bright) trumpet type flowers
>>>> and bright red feeders definitely call to them. The sugar water/nectar
>>>> does *not* need to be dyed red (contrary to popular belief). But they
>>>> are attracted to bright feeders just as they are to bright flowers.
>>>>
>>>> Jill
>>>
>>> I've actually had them come after a blouse with red flowers on it before
>>> they realized it wasn't food.
>>>
>>> Cheri
>>
>> Hahaha! That's how I got a bee sting. Made the mistake of picking pears
>> wearing a large flowered muu muu.
>>
>> I once gave my bro a hummingbird feeder as a gift because I thought it was
>> pretty. I had no idea how high maintenance they are. That stopped me
>> from getting one for myself. The instructions actually said not to make
>> the nectar yourself and only to purchase it or you could sicken the birds.
>> And it had to be cleaned and disinfected so frequently that I wouldn't
>> bother. I'd be afraid that I'd forget or for some reason be unable to
>> clean it and kill the birds./
>
>I've always made my own. Has to be changed often in the heat, but other than
>that, easy.


We make our own, as well. I don't even bother boiling it - just heat
until the sugar dissolves.

Ours has to be changed quite often because we get ants in the feeder.
I empty it every 3-4 days, and only use about half a cup at a time in
the feeder.

Here's a neat hummingbird video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJEA_kAqUso

I had no idea hummingbirds would ever put up with a crowd - the ones
around here guard their feeders ferociously, and any interlopers are
quickly chased off.

Doris