Discussions

Has anybody seen a humming bird yet? I thought with the strong south winds last week they'd be here already. I hung up my feeder yeasterday with anticipation that they will soon arrive. I guess i'll be patient. Also, i make homemade syrup for the feeder. I use 1/2 water and 1/2 sugar and add a few drops of red food coloring. Do you make your own syrup or do you buy the power to make the syrup?

We have a feeder in our front yard. At least one hummingbird has been coming by for a couple weeks. See him every day and drinks enough that the juice is down a couple inches.

Hummingbird recipe: one part sugar to 4 parts water. Oriole: one part sugar to 6 parts water. NEVER use honey: only sugar. NEVER use food colouring. Friend of mine felt too much sugar could compromise egg shell quality, etc. Apparently, 1:4 is close to nectar they would consume from flowers. Last year, hung only oriole feeder for early part of Summer & hummers fed ''hungrily'' as with 1:4 concentration & had no lack of the little fellows.  
 
Edited by owyhee, 2016-05-16 08:06:54

My neighbor told me to put my hummingbird feeder up as soon as the barn swallows were back. I did that the past two years and had a TON of the little guys feeding! In fact, I had to add two more feeders! The barn swallows were back last week, I put up my feeders, and still no hummingbirds.  
Also, agree with the 1:4 ratio, and no need to add red food coloring.

Baltimore Orange Orioles back this morning

You have to make feed with less sugar. I make it 3 water and 1 sugar and my hubby keeps telling me it should be 4 to one sugar. When it is too thick , the sugar dries up and clogs their beaks. This happened in Clear Lake several years ago.

always expect hummingbirds on the May long weekend. I also have not seen any orioles yet.  
My sugar solution is 4 parts water to 1 part sugar and I use red food colouring so I can see how low the solution is getting.  
For orioles, I always have some oranges handy this time of year and slice them and put them out, as soon as I see them.

My husband put out oranges also, we have seen the orioles on our front tree!!

yes, we have hummingbirds already.  
only use 1cup sugar to 4cups water. they can't digest more. also never food coloring, and remember to change the hummingbird sugar mixture every couple of days...I fill my feeders only half full, so I don't waste so much, but sugar is fairly cheap.. I make a batch and store it in the fridge.. good luck and enjoy your bird watching

I haven't seen any yet but maybe they won't come around to the north end with those skinny little bully black birds.

I've had at least one since a little over a week ago

Tomorrow is another day, i will watch for them. I|will however dilute my syrup, thanks for sharing the information.

Florette said "You have to make feed with less sugar. I make it 3 water and 1 sugar and my hubby keeps telling me it should be 4 to one sugar. When it is too thick , the sugar dries up and clogs their beaks. This happened in Clear Lake several years ago. "

Making it 3:1 is less water and makes it thicker? Don't understand your ratio. Think you need to rethink that.

No Hummingbirds or Orioles this Spring yet.  
We have those darn Crows and I'm worried they will bully all the other birds away.  
 
Edited by Guitarannie, 2016-05-17 20:14:13

Still waiting for my beloved hummingbirds but have noticed that my second favorite bird had arrived, the gold finch!

Has anybody seen any purple martins yet this year??? They are usually back. But my house is still empty!! Finches are back...haven't noticed gunners or Orioles yet. Hope they come soon!!

I just saw an oriole in my yard. Those of you that put out oranges... where to you put them?? I don't want to put them too low or my darn dog will eat them, LOL.

Abbysmum said "I just saw an oriole in my yard. Those of you that put out oranges... where to you put them?? I don't want to put them too low or my darn dog will eat them, LOL. "

just cut them in half, start a small hole in the rind, and jam them onto a tree branch. I have seen people make a board with nails or dowels and they impale the oranges on that.

I heard (but couldn''t spot him) an oriole yesterday. Still no humming birds at my feeder. I don''t have a purple martin house, but there is one at one of my work places - and there were a bunch of them at it yesterday!  
 
Edited by curlysister, 2016-05-18 11:28:01

I am pleased to report that my humming birds have returned.