Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Yard

Now you see them, now you don't. Look quickly or wait until next time. If hummingbirds have decided that your yard has good things to eat, they'll be back-- if only for fleeting moments at a time.

One of the most popular of all birds homeowners hope to attract to their yards is the tiny, fluttering hummingbird. Delicate, playful and lovely, hummingbirds can be a joy to watch as they zip -almost faster than the eye can see-from one flower to another, up, down and around your garden.

If you have been captivated by the aerial acrobatics of these delightful creatures, there are things you can do to encourage them to visit, or even nest, near your home.

Creating a hummingbird habitat on your property can be as easy as providing the birds with several food sources, water, and secure places to build their nests.

Hummingbirds are both insect eaters and nectar drinkers, enjoying trumpet-shaped flowers which are ideally designed for their long, slender bills. Planting a variety of flowers that hummingbirds find tasty is not difficult -hummingbirds are almost always hungry and they like a wide variety of flowers, trees and shrubs.

Hummingbird fans and nature specialists offer the following advice on ways to attract and provide for hummingbirds and other wildlife.

Hummingbirds must eat almost half their weight every day in insects and nectar because they use so much energy flying and hovering.

Putting out a hummingbird feeder filled with nectar is one way of attracting hummers to the yard. A simple nectar made of four parts water and one part ordinary sugar is good, but homeowners must be careful to change the nectar and wash the feeder in hot water every few days to avoid bacteria. Contrary to some opinion, never add red food coloring, artificial sweeteners or honey to the sugar and water solution, experts advise, since this may endanger the health of hummingbirds and promote bacterial growth.

Although "hummers" as they are called by fans, are attracted to the color red, the flowers in the landscape are a better, safer source of red for them. Sweeteners besides table sugar may be a source of bacteria or artificial additives that might harm the birds.

Hummingbird feeders come in a variety of styles and colors and can be an attractive addition to a backyard landscape. To encourage hummingbirds to stay around your yard, set out several feeders, apart from one another so that the birds will not be in competition with one another.

Planting your garden or designing your landscaping to be attractive to hummingbirds is easy because their "favorites" are many. Some of plants recommended for their diversity and ease of maintenance include: Bee balm, red columbine, red sage, plantain lily, phlox, hibiscus, bergamot and Cardinal flowers.

Also: Daylilies, hollyhocks, honeysuckle, coral bells, lilacs, nasturtiums, and irises.

Hummingbird enthusiasts suggest a section of reds rather than scattering individual red plants throughout the garden, which might be missed as the hummers fly by. A grouping of red flowering plants is more likely to catch the hummers' attention and entice them to stop.

Include large shrubs and vines, which hummers like for nesting and shelter, in your landscape plans. Despite all that impressive flying, hummers do sit down and the presence of shrubs and small trees will provide them places to perch.

Once hummingbirds have visited your yard, you might encourage them to stay with misting sprinklers that can be attached to bird baths, or misters on timers out in the yard.

Since hummers like to eat insects as well as nectar, some people put over-ripe pieces of fruit out in the garden to encourage fruit flies. Tiny spiders which cling to some garden plants are also a hummer delicacy.

If your home's landscape is hummer-friendly and you've planted groups of showy red flowers and put out a few nectar-filled feeders, don't be surprised if something very fast and quite delightful starts visiting your yard