Hummingbirds & Nectar Recipe

As I was weeding the other day

I spotted a hummingbird enjoying the nectar

from our largest Butterfly Bush!

I couldn't believe the luck in catching it on the camera!

We planted another 9 new large trees in early summer

and one of the trees has a hummingbird nest!

(We have planted over 50 trees in the 10 years we've been here.)

 We just love all the nature doing so  has brought to our home!

This lil guy was really going to town on those fragrant blossoms!

Then the next day as I was sipping iced tea in our

covered "Zen Room" (our fancy name for our simple patio porch) appreciating the serenity of our nest and hue of the amazing clear bright blue skies.......

along buzzed another amazing hummingbird................

 and allowed me to photograph it, too!

Imagine having the camera there to capture this elusive beauty!

That kind of thing just never happens to me
 - let alone twice in one week!

I honestly couldn't believe my luck.

With wings spun of silver and hearts of gold,
These tiny creatures our hearts behold.
With angelic features and colors so bright,
Make even the heaviest heart seem light.
The magical way they flit through the sky,
They appear, then vanish in the blink of an eye.
They're sending a message for us to retrieve,
Anything's possible for those who believe!

                                                                                  

 ~C. Griffiths

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No need to purchase that expensive hummingbird nectar food in the garden stores. (And it usually contains preservatives and/or dye- two things these sweet birds don't need!)

Make your own - it is so easy - right from your kitchen's pantry- two simple ingredients is all it takes!

Hummingbird Nectar Recipe

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1. Combine one part white sugar and four parts water.
2. Heat the solution for 1-2 minutes to help the sugar dissolve and slow fermentation.
3. Allow the solution to cool completely before filling feeders.

Nectar Recipe Tips

If your tap water contains heavy chemicals, consider using bottled or purified water for purer nectar. You can also boil the water before adding the sugar to help purify it.

Do not use honey, brown sugar, molasses or artificial sugar substitutes for any hummingbird nectar recipe. Honey and molasses (brown sugar contains molasses products) are too heavy for hummingbirds to digest efficiently and can ferment more quickly, creating a mold that is fatal to hummingbirds. Sugar substitutes do not have the caloric energy that hummingbirds need for energy.

While boiling will help slow the fermentation of the nectar initially, the nectar in hummingbird feeders is contaminated as soon as it is sipped by a bird. Therefore, it is not necessary to boil the nectar once the sugar has been dissolved. If you use extra fine sugar no boiling may be needed.

• The ratio of sugar and water can be slightly adjusted, but a solution that is too sweet will be difficult for the birds to digest and one that does not contain enough sugar will not be suitable to attract hummingbirds. The 4:1 water to sugar ratio most closely approximates the sucrose levels in natural nectar.
• Hummingbird nectar must be completely cool before filling feeders. Hot nectar can warp or crack both glass and plastic hummingbird feeders and warm nectar will ferment more quickly.
• Commercial hummingbird nectar products may advertise different flavors, vitamins and other additives that are supposed to attract additional birds. These additives are not necessary for hummingbirds’ health and a simple sugar solution will attract just as many birds as more expensive commercial products.
• Unused hummingbird nectar can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week. When making your own nectar, adjust the recipe quantity to only make enough for one week to eliminate waste.
  
  
• REMEMBER TO ALWAYS CLEAN YOUR FEEDERS AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK AND MORE OFTEN IF IT HAS BEEN IN HIGHER TEMPERATURES.

 

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