Hummingbird Blog

What kind of nest do I have on my porch?

admin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 06:41:11 +0000

I think I might have a hummingbird’s nest on my front door, in a wreath. The nest is small and composed of string and other small, flexible sticks. The nest is completely covered however, so I’m not sure if it is a hummingbird or not. Are there any other birds that build small nests that are covered…and make a buzzing sound when disturbed.

Hummingbird do not use sticks..their nests look very cottony and are sometimes covered in lichens and they are not covered, they make open cup nests. Sounds more like a wren nest..they do make covered nest sometimes and they do make a buzzing noise.
Hummingbird nest:

Wren nest:

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dcarolina%2Bwren%2B%2Bnest%26ei%3Dutf-8%26y%3DSearch%26fr%3Dush-ans&w=490&h=500&imgurl=static.flickr.com%2F206%2F464137685_766730da24.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Flallee%2F464137685%2F&size=263k&name=Carolina+Wren+Ne…&p=carolina+wren++nest&oid=13e0e3fe1f8cb06a&fr2=&fusr=Lallee&hurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Flallee%2F&no=15&tt=522&sigr=11ecdkb0i&sigi=11ee6k6oo&sigb=12vrt340c&sigh=114nttetf

I found a pear shaped hummingbird nest – i verified it against other photos on line – hanging in my orange?

admin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 06:41:10 +0000

tree. It is empty and appears to have a "tear" from top to nearly the bottom, but was well built and still hanging. There are the remains of a second nest (older dried up but still comparable) next to it. I have hummingbirds every year. Is the tear in the newer nest natural and might it be used again, or would a predator have done that? I also saw down feathers on the ground but no dead birds. Back to my question, do these sack like hummingbird nests have natural long openings/slits?

You can try here for more help with that.

http://wild-birds.suite101.com/article.cfm/hummingbird_nests

What time of year do you stop putting out food for hummingbirds?

admin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 06:19:02 +0000

I live in Oklahoma and have been feeding hummingbirds all summer. They are still hanging out, and we’re getting into fall. When should I stop putting out food so they will go south, or do I have to stop at all?
Thanks–I just put up another 16oz or so of food, but I’ll take it down after they finish that off. We are just now getting colder weather, so maybe that will send them along.

well its strange you still have them there, usually they’ve all gone to the south. This is the time i normally i take mine down.

can I make my own hummingbird feeder solution?

admin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 06:19:01 +0000

What is the ratio of sugar to water for hummingbird food?

3-4 cups of water
1 cup sugar
Boil for a couple minutes to stop fermentation
Drop or two of red food coloring
Cool
Serve

is hummingbird red liquid food harmful to the birds beaks?

admin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 06:19:00 +0000

There is some controversy as to whether or not the dye is harmful to hummingbirds or not. I have never heard that it might be harmful to their beaks, but it is thought that it may cause tumors or may build up in liver or kidneys. There has been no scientific studies (on birds) proving OR disproving these statements ..so I just use plain sugar water with NO coloring. It is actually not needed to attract the birds as the red color on the feeder itself is enough to get them to the feeders, so why take the chance of harming them when the red dye is not necessary. There HAVE been studies done on mammals testing red dyes (with tumors resulting), and some experts do agree that it should not be added when feeding birds.

http://www.paghat.com/reddye.html

Can I use jello water for hummingbird food.?

admin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 06:18:59 +0000

No; it won’t "keep." Use only sugar and water, no dye or food color, and never use honey. I found 444,000 hits for hummingbird nectar with Google; try it.

How to make up hummingbird "juice".?

admin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 06:18:57 +0000

I have sugar and red food coloring. How much of each do I mix to make hummingbird food?

1 part sugar
4 part water

DO NOT USE THE RED….It is toxic to the hummers.

i need a recipe for hummingbird food?

admin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 06:18:56 +0000

anyone know of a website or has such a recipe

Just 4 parts water to 1 part sugar. For example, if you use 1/4 cup of sugar, use 1 cup of water. It is not necessary to add dye or food coloring. Just mix the sugar and water together in a pan over a medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil it for 2-3 minutes, then remove it from the heat and let it cool. Excess hummingbird food/nectar can be kept in a sealed container for up to a week.

I need the formula for hummingbird food, how much sugar for 1 cup of water? ty?

admin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 06:18:55 +0000

1 Part Sugar
4 Parts Water
Boil 1-2 Minutes
Cool & Store In Refrigerator

how do I stop my hummingbird feeder from leaking?

admin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 06:18:55 +0000

I have a glass hummingbird feeder made of glass with a rubber stopper with a hole in it, that plugs into the bottom of the feeder. A plastic curved tube fits into the hole in the plug and curves out. On the end of the plastic tube is a red rubber "cap" with a small hole in it. I managed to find another red cap with an even smaller hole in it, and tried with water to make the thing work, but the water just pours out of the tiny hole in the cap. Does it work if you use the hummingbird food? I hear that when hummingbird food is prepared it isn’t much thicker than water-is that true?

I had one just like it. I hope you didnt pay alot of money for it. They are cheap imports that are shipped from over seas at 30 cents a piece. They will never work proper because the rubber is poor. Throw it out I say and buy a better one. But there is a solution if you want to, buy the goop they put around the rubbers in milkshake machines to stop leaks. Its food safe and keeps liquid in.

Let me guess though, your glass feeder has colored spots of glass all over it? Thats what mind looks like.