May 30

Essential Tips for Hummingbird Feeders

By Margaret Collins Birds, Hummingbirds, Uncategorized Leave a Comment »
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Ruby-throated Hummingbirds on the WBU Small High Perch Hummingbird Feeder

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds on the WBU Small High Perch Hummingbird Feeder

Hummingbirds have returned to most regions in North America, check out the Journey North map. We wanted to share these helpful tips to frequently asked questions regarding hummingbirds. A special thank you to Rosann Kovalcik, owner of the Wild Birds Unlimited store in Grosse Pointe Woods, MI, for sharing her hummingbird expertise with everyone.

How do I make Hummingbird Nectar?
Commercial nectar that you purchase should be free of red dye. The sugar used in boxed nectar is superfine and can easily be made with boiled water, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. For a home-made version, the ratio is four parts water to one part sugar (ex: one cup of water to ¼ cup sugar). Boil the water to rid it of chlorination and allow the sugar to dissolve easily. Pour it over the sugar and stir until dissolved. Once cooled off, fill your feeder and keep the rest in a nectar bottle in the refrigerator. Do not use dyes, brown sugar or honey.

How often should Hummingbird Feeder Nectar be changed?
If the weather is cooler, 60 degrees, then leaving the nectar for two or three days is acceptable. However, on a 90? + day, the possibility of spoilage would require that you change the nectar after one day. Rinse your feeder out with hot water and clean the feeding ports with a brush to make sure that you prevent a build-up of mold.

Are there times of the year when I should make the nectar stronger?
On average, the nectar that flowers produce is the same strength of sweetness throughout their blooming period. Since what we put in our feeders mimics nature, keeping our nectar recipe the same is recommended.

What if hummingbirds are not coming to the bird feeder?
Since hummingbirds must wake up and refuel immediately, check at daybreak if you want to see if the feeder is being visited. Make sure that you are changing your nectar frequently – spoiled nectar means that they will visit and learn that your feeder is not a place to visit.

What do I do to keep flying insects out of the hummingbird feeder?
• Clean the Humming bird feeder inside and out. Don’t let sugar solution splash on the outside of the feeder as it is a further attractant to bees.

• Fill the nectar level lower than usual so the bees can’t reach it through the ports in a tray-style feeder. Sometimes this is about half-way full.

• Move the feeder even if it is a couple feet from the original location. When a bee scout finds the food it tells the others exactly where to find the source. If the source is not in the exact location then they don’t look around for it. The feeder will be bee-free till another scout comes across it. The birds will not have an issue with it being moved.

• A small bowl of higher concentration sugar water, like a 1:1, on the ground may ‘pull’ the bees to that source instead of the nectar feeder source.

• Pure almond extract around the ports has anecdotally worked for folks in the past. It doesn’t seem to bother or harm the birds.

• Check to see if there are any yellow parts on the feeder. Many popular hummingbird feeders have yellow feeder ports or decorations. Bees and wasps are attracted to the color yellow. Use bright red fingernail polish and paint over any yellow parts of the feeder. Apply several coats of nail polish, letting each dry before applying the next coat.

• Place the feeder away from anything that is yellow in your yard. This includes yellow flowers, lawn ornaments or decorations. Again, the yellow color will attract the unwanted insects.

You can find our complete selection of Hummingbird Feeders Here.

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Apr 16

Amazing Memory

By Brian Cunningham Birds, Hummingbirds, Migration, New Products 3 Comments »
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Immature Female Rufous Hummingbird

Immature Female Rufous Hummingbird

WBU High Perch Hummingbird Feeder

WBU High Perch Hummingbird Feeder

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Did you ever wonder how a hummingbird will show up in your yard and check out the hummingbird feeder or hanging nectar plant that was there last year but hasn’t been put out yet this year? How do the birds know? It’s almost like they remember the nectar-rich food source. It is amazing that a bird would remember, especially one with the brain the size of a BB. Consider what a hummingbird does each year. They migrate great distances going south to winter in southern Mexico and northern Panama. They travel as far north as Alaska and Canada for breeding. Up to a 2,500 mile trip one way. An impressive feat performed by such a small-brained bird weighing about one penny. Bird banding records show many hummingbirds pass through the same yards, on the same day, year after year. Males return to stake claim on the same territory as the previous year. Females return to the same tree for nesting and sometimes re-use last year’s nest. One study found a female reused her nest for five years in a row. It is amazing how the smallest bird in the world can be so formidable with its memory and come back to feed from a nectar feeder it remembers from last year.

Hang your hummingbird feeders now and keep the nectar fresh. Those amazing jewels of nature are migrating back for the summer.

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Sep 14

(Not Yet) Time to Pack It in

By Brian Cunningham Hummingbirds, Migration Leave a Comment »
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Rufous Hummingbird

Rufous Hummingbird on High Perch Hummingbird Feeder

Don’t pack up your nectar feeders just yet. Hummingbirds are still migrating.

More northerly areas in the US and Canada are at the tail-end of migration. More southerly areas of the US have a good month of movement yet to occur. Still other areas like the West Coast, Southwest and extreme Southeast will have wintering hummingbirds.

There is no need to take down nectar feeders to make sure hummingbirds migrate. They innately know when it is time to move and where to go.

In fact, nectar feeders can be a big help to supplement hummingbirds’ much-needed energy for migration or overwintering. Just keep the nectar fresh and offer a mix of four parts water with one part sugar.

How do you know when hummingbirds are gone? Leave your feeder up until you see no activity for at least two weeks and the nectar level is not dropping anymore.

So, don’t pack up your nectar feeders just yet. You may be surprised by a late mover or even a straggler that decided to try and tough out the autumn weather.

Have you seen hummingbirds in late-fall or even in winter?

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Aug 10

Waves of Hummingbirds to Migrate South in August

By Margaret Collins Birds, Hummingbirds, Migration 2 Comments »
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Beginning in August, millions of hummingbirds will travel to Mexico and Central America as part of an instinctive migration pattern that they have followed for hundreds of years. At speeds up to 60 mph, many hummingbirds will travel a non-stop, trans-gulf flight that takes approximately 18 – 22 hours and covers 500 – 600 miles.

“Considering that hummingbirds eat about every 10 minutes and can drink up to twice their body weight in nectar per day, there will be constant fly-by pit-stops along their route,” said Jim Carpenter, CEO and founder of Wild Birds Unlimited. “That makes this the ideal time to draw a crowd of hummingbirds into your own backyard.”

Hummingbirds feed on flower nectar, insects and sugar-water solution placed in specially designed feeders. Weighing as little as a penny, hummingbirds have the fastest metabolism of any warm-blooded animal, so it’s important that they have a high-calorie intake to sustain their migration. Carpenter offers the following feeding tips to make sure local residents don’t miss the migration:

• Plant the right flowers – hummingbirds are drawn to plants like Cardinal Flowers, Salvia, Columbines, and Bee Balm.
• Create your own nectar – it’s simply 4 parts water and 1 part sugar; visit here for instructions and tips.
• Have the right feeder – hummingbirds do not suck up nectar with their bills; they actually lap it up with their tongues, drawing nectar into their mouths almost 12 times a second. You can watch this remarkable tongue in action with a Wild Birds Unlimited Window Hummingbird Feeder, which features a transparent bowl that allows you to watch a hummingbird’s long tongue and rapid lapping action.
• Incorporate red into your garden – red is a visual cue that lets hummingbirds know food is available; they don’t have an innate preference for the color red, but learn to associate certain colors with food. Try planting red flowers, using a red feeder, or even creating fun garden art with red materials.

For more tips on how to attract hummingbirds to your backyard during their migration, visit your local Wild Birds Unlimited location.

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Aug 03

Get the Most Out of Summer Camping Trips

By Margaret Collins Birds, Common Nighthawks, Great Horned Owl, Hummingbirds, Pathways for Kids Leave a Comment »
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Summer is a popular time for outdoor family reunions, camping trips or sleep away camp for the kids. However, much of the fun in hiking and spending time outside is having encounters with animals in their natural environment.

“There are several easy things campers and hikers can do to get the most out of their outdoor experience,” said Jim Carpenter, CEO and founder of Wild Birds Unlimited. “Some tips are fairly intuitive, such as being quiet on the trail, so as not to scare away animals you are hoping to view. Other tips are very important, but less well known, such as the fact that feathers and nests are all federally protected and not to be collected.”

Carpenter offers the following 10 camping/outdoor tips to make sure people can observe the most wildlife:

1. Bring binoculars for kids and adults.
2. Turn binoculars into a magnifying glass by reversing the end you look through; it works great for looking closely at flowers, butterflies, insects and more.
3. Watch for birds actively feeding early in the morning.
4. Late-risers can still see birds but may have to be more observant as the birds sing less often as the morning progresses.
5. At night, listen for owls calling to each other.
6. Listen for Great Horned Owls calling a five-note hoot that can be interpreted as “who’s awake, me too.”
7. Listen for nighthawks in the evening sky—a nighthawk’s call sounds like a “pee-ernt.”
8. Set out a hummingbird feeder while camping and watch to see who shows up to investigate—don’t use a yellow feeder, though, as you’ll probably attract bees, not birds. Hummingbirds like the color red.
9. Use the simple ratio of ¼ cup of sugar to one cup of water (a one-to-four ratio) for hummingbird nectar.
10. Bird and other wildlife identification guides show you how to look for wildlife; what kinds of behaviors to look for; and what habitats to look in to be able to identify what you see.

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Jul 11

A Perfect Day

By Brian Cunningham Bird ID, Birding, Birds, Blue Grobeak, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Eastern Bluebird, Indigo Bunting, Mississippi Kite, Northern Parula, Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Leave a Comment »
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Red-cockaded Woodpeckers

After a quick hour of travel to Webb Wildlife Management Area with a bus-load of Wild Birds Unlimited store owners, we step off the bus to low humidity and 82° F. There are no bugs. Is this really the South in summer?

We begin meandering down the gravel lane with clear views through the pine stands on either side of us.

The first bird calling is the Bachmann’s Sparrow. Do you hear its whistle-note followed by a trill reminiscent of a towhee? Look, here it is in the spotting scope.

Do you hear the Northern Bobwhite’s calling to each other? “Bob, bob, WHITE”

Wow! Our target bird for the day! See the woodpeckers with the big white patches on their cheeks? Those are Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. There are three of them at eye-level flaking bark off the pines to find insects. (pictured above)

Just down the lane is a Blue Grosbeak in the grass. What a view!

There’s an Eastern Bluebird perched on the nest box.

On the utility wire above is another “blue” bird, the Indigo Bunting, singing “fire, fire, where, where, here, here, see it see it.”

Oh, look, a Ruby-throated Hummingbird is chasing the Indigo.

Someone found a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher nest. Look in the scope. You can see the babies’ heads pop up when mom and dad come in with caterpillars.

Listen! Do you hear the squeak-toy call of the Brown-headed Nuthatch? There they are. I see them; a foraging family group.

Do you see the Northern Parula? Its throat and chest are yellow but so is its lower bill. See how brilliant the yellow is in the sunlight?

Here comes another group of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. There are five this time.

Too bad we didn’t see the Mississippi Kites. Oh, wait, there’s one!

What a perfect day for bird watching!

Have you ever had a perfect day outdoors?

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Mar 28

Unusual Weather Impact on Birds

By John Schaust American Robin, Birds, Chipping Sparrow, Migration, Red Winged Blackbird, Ruby-Throated Hummingbird 1 Comment »
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This winter’s unusually warm weather is continuing to be a major factor across much of North America this spring and is resulting in an abnormally early migration for many birds. Different bird species are responding to the unusual conditions in diverse ways.

Short- and medium-distance migrants primarily winter in the southern U.S. or Mexico and travel north in short flights that are triggered by good weather and favorable wind directions. Both of these conditions have persisted for the past few weeks and have triggered many of these migrants to head north early.

Short distance migrants like Eastern and Say’s Phoebes, Pine Warblers and American Robins are arriving back on their nesting grounds weeks ahead of their normal schedules.

Mid-distance migrating birds, such as the Ruby-throated Hummingbird and Louisiana Waterthrush are also showing strong signs of some early migration activity.

Long-distance migrants coming from Central America, South America or the Caribbean are not expected to show any early migration movements. These migrants fly in long nonstop flights, and their departure is primarily triggered by increasing periods of sunlight each day. Weather is not a factor and they will migrate on the same schedule as usual.

But, what does this mean for birds that visit our backyards?

Here are some potential impacts:
? Local, winter resident birds such as Slate-colored Juncos, White-crowned, White-throated & America Tree Sparrows are likely to leave for their northern breeding grounds weeks earlier than normal.
? Short- and medium-distant migrants may arrive back earlier than normal. They may include Chipping Sparrows, Hummingbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, Cowbirds and Grackles.
? Long-distance migrants such as Orioles, Scarlet Tanagers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks & Indigo Buntings should be arriving within the normal range of migration return dates.

What birds are you seeing move earlier than usual?

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Sep 02

Hummingbird Fun

By Brian Cunningham Birds, Hummingbirds 4 Comments »
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Late-summer is a fun time to watch hummingbirds. It is prime migration and my window-mounted hummingbird feeder has been quite popular. The birds are emptying it almost faster than I can keep it filled.

In fact, the hummingbirds are battling over the feeder. They have spent hours chittering at and chasing one another. They perch in the spruce trees to either side of the window almost like they are playing Red Rover or Kick the Can. When one bird approaches the feeder, another will try to chase it away. A third will try to sneak in for a drink, while a fourth dives in to take its place.

I spent a bit of time one evening patiently waiting by my window with my iPhone to get some up-close snapshots. It was a challenge, with all the chasing, for a bird to sit long enough for a photo. Of course, I loved every minute of it.

There was one juvenile male Ruby-throated Hummingbird that I was able to photograph (seen above). He is still growing into his adult plumage. He has some spots on his throat that will eventually turn into a beautiful red gorget. There is also a cute white dot in the middle of his green forehead.

I’m enjoying the hummingbird fun before they have all migrated south for the winter.

What’s happening at your feeders?

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Aug 05

Hummingbird Highlights

By Brian Cunningham Birds, Hummingbirds 2 Comments »
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I answer a lot of the nature questions that people send to our “webmaster.” There have been some very interesting hummingbird topics in the last few weeks.

Someone from New Jersey wrote in about a “weird looking hummingbird.” It turned out to not be a hummingbird but what is commonly referred to as a hummingbird moth. These moths are the size and shape of a hummingbird, have clear wings that seem to move like a hummingbird’s and they flit around flowers in the day time looking for nectar.

Someone in Ohio saw a creature that looked like a hummingbird but had the dull gray coloration of a moth. After some investigation, it was determined that it was a hummingbird; however, it was like a color photo that was switched to a black-and-white version.

A person in Colorado contacted me to about the possibility of seeing a Calliope Hummingbird at their feeder. They are not common in Colorado during nesting season; but, they are common during migration. Guess what? It is migration time for Calliopes in Colorado. The person was super excited to have Calliopes coming to their nectar feeders.

Another person reported an Anna’s Hummingbird in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan this past spring. Perhaps a spring storm pushed it off course and moved it farther East than the Anna’s normal breeding range. I didn’t think anything of it after that. After talking with that same person this week, the Anna’s is still hanging around.

Have you seen any interesting hummingbirds or interesting hummingbird activity lately?

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