Ranger Bob, in his role as Porch Director of Gardening, told me, "You need to get the hummingbird feeders cleaned and filled."
"I have the food, Bob."
"I'll be over to clean them."
"I haven't seen a bird yet. I am sure they will let me know."
Yesterday, I had the garage door open. As I walked into the garage, a hummingbird dive-bombed me from behind. I turned around to look. He came back to the empty feeder close to the driveway and mimed sipping from the empty feeding point.
"OK. I will clean and fill them."
Hummingbirds are known for this behavior, sometimes hovering in clear view to remind the gardener where the food had been last summer.
I took five feeders in, two-by-two, cleaning and assembling them in the kitchen sink. I like the little plastic ones. Bob supplied the garden hook to hang three of them. Several hooks are on the porch for additional feeding.
I filled them outside, using prepared food from Pennington. I had to buy more because I poured myself a glass of it during the winter dryness, thinking it was sugar-free cranberry juice. Instead, it was a watered down cherry flavor. The jars are a matching red and the same size, stored in the fridge door.
Last year we had a constant show of hummingbird feeding and guarding of the feeder. Every visitor enjoys the show, which costs a little to start and maintain.
The Creator might have gotten by without the hummingbird. Many insects pollinate, and most birds are entertaining in their antics, the tinier the better. Chickadees hold a sunflower seed in its claws and does toe touches to open each seed up with its beak. Cardinals have such powerful beaks that they chew the seeds open and expel the husk. Cardinals do this with a droll look on their faces, proud of their power.
PFC said his parents' home had 20 hummingbirds feeding at once, thanks to a long tradition of feeding them.
I washed the last feeder, filled it outside, and replaced it outside the kitchen window. That feeder is not visited often, but the location is strategic. First of all, the birds are territorial, so it opens up another place for birds. Secondly, the Crepe Myrtle is just behind and below the feeder, a good place for tiny birds to rest between sips or to line up for the next treat.
I thought of hummingbird feeders as trouble, mess, and cost, but that was all exaggerated in my mind. They use up little time, create no mess, and cost very little all season.
Feeding with seeds is messier and costlier, but the seeds attract many species.. I use black oil sunflower seeds twice a day. The fluffy-tailed Thief Bird often shows up, but they all share the bounty.
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| The Fluffy-Tailed Thief Bird figured the swing and the feeders were for him. |
