Summer Hummer Haven

With autumn fast approaching,
we wanted to share one of the wonderful discoveries 
of our first summer here in NC.

A hummingbird feeder was left here by the previous owners.
We put it to the side and figured we would end up donating it.
I knew taking care of hummingbird feeders would be more work,
with having to mix up the nectar and regularly cleaning the feeders out.
Another job on my chore list isn't what I was looking for.

 After researching and finding out how little effort was needed,
we decided to give it a go.
Are we glad we did!
We are able to enjoy hummers all day long
with the feeder hung right in front of our office window.
I haven't yet mastered capturing these fascinating creatures in pictures,
but I will be able to hone those skills since they are such frequent visitors.

Once a week, we mix up the nectar solution
(only homemade would do!)
and flush the feeder with water before refilling.
It is recommended that the feeder be cleaned once a month
with a diluted bleach solution.


Nectar Recipe
1 part white sugar
4 parts water

We added 1/4 C of white, granulated sugar
to a cup of tap water and brought it to the boil.
After cooling the solution until it was room temperature,
we refilled the feeder.
It's not necessary to use distilled water
or organic sugar.
In fact, we've read that using anything but these two simple ingredients
can do more harm than good.

Since the nectar is only a supplement to their diet,
hummers will have plenty to eat should you run out of the solution.
They also love to eat flying insects
and the nectar naturally occurring in many flowering plants.
As we plan our spring garden,
we will be adding many more of these type of flowers,
so that we can support the hummers (and other pollinators) in our area.

We are so thankful that these critters choose to visit us each day.
They are a magical element of summer .