[DK]

I made some sugar syrup with 1 part sugar and 2 parts water, boiled
it and put it out and waited.

The visitor arrived several hours later, stuck its beak in the
solution and then flew off.

I was insulted.

[NSN]

On Sat, 07 Oct 2006 07:35:56 -0500, DK wrote:


I made some sugar syrup with 1 part sugar and 2 parts water, boiled
it and put it out and waited.

The visitor arrived several hours later, stuck its beak in the
solution and then flew off.

I was insulted.

The proper mixture is 1 cup water to 1/4 cup sugar. I use filtered
water and have never bothered boiling. I change it every 3 days or
when it starts to get cloudy .. depends on the weather.

[[email protected]]

he may have got a sugar buzz.. i use 1 part sugar to 3 parts
water . i boil it because it makes the sugar stay in the water and not
settle in the bottom. my little guys are about gone. i had one hanging
on last week. lucas in ky.

http://www.minibite.com/america/malone.htm

[Rich256]

NSN wrote:
On Sat, 07 Oct 2006 07:35:56 -0500, DK wrote:

I made some sugar syrup with 1 part sugar and 2 parts water, boiled
it and put it out and waited.

The visitor arrived several hours later, stuck its beak in the
solution and then flew off.

I was insulted.

The proper mixture is 1 cup water to 1/4 cup sugar. I use filtered
water and have never bothered boiling. I change it every 3 days or
when it starts to get cloudy .. depends on the weather.



There is no "proper" mixture although the 1:4 mix is most popular. A
1:1 mixture is often more attractive to the bird. The bird needs a huge
amount of food to stay alive. The 1:4 mixture is used to increase
frequency. Some recommend starting with the high sugar mixture and then
cutting back to get the birds to feed more often.

In the Colorado Mountains, even with the 1:4 mixture, you will be
refilling it a couple times a day. The air battles are most entertaining.

This time of year they are migrating, perhaps most in the U.S. are
already south of the border, a few stay near the gulf.

[Tater]

DK wrote:
I made some sugar syrup with 1 part sugar and 2 parts water, boiled
it and put it out and waited.

The visitor arrived several hours later, stuck its beak in the
solution and then flew off.

I was insulted.

they got tiny brains, it'll take weeks for them to show up regularly.

I assume this is why you are insulted, that and maybe you expected them
to gorge themselves, they don't, unless they know it is an established
food source.

My parents got a hummer feeder on the edge of their porch. been there
for years, they can expect 4 visits an hour at it in good weather, have
even hed them perch there and even have males chase other males out.

I'd suggest one drop of red food coloring in the water. or a feeder of
bright red coloring.

they come, they sip for less than 5 seconds then go. thats their nature

[Charles Pisano]

Is there a certain way to fashion a feeder to be more effective? Are
hummers in certain parts of the country only?
CP

[Rich256]

Charles Pisano wrote:
Is there a certain way to fashion a feeder to be more effective? Are
hummers in certain parts of the country only?
CP


http://www.rubythroat.org/ChecklistsUSStatesMain.html


You must have good color in the feeder to attract them. Red of most any
hue. Often you see them momentarily hover near the tail lights of a car.

Once I stopped at a restaurant in Three Rivers, CA. They had dozens of
feeders on a balcony and the air was filled with hundreds of birds.

If there are lots of birds in the area and you put up more than one
feeder, often one will try to take command of all the feeders. It will
perch somewhere so it can watch for intruders. While off chasing off
one several others will sneak in for a feeding.

[Al Bundy]

Rich256 wrote in
:

NSN wrote:
On Sat, 07 Oct 2006 07:35:56 -0500, DK wrote:

I made some sugar syrup with 1 part sugar and 2 parts water, boiled
it and put it out and waited.

The visitor arrived several hours later, stuck its beak in the
solution and then flew off.

I was insulted.

The proper mixture is 1 cup water to 1/4 cup sugar. I use filtered
water and have never bothered boiling. I change it every 3 days or
when it starts to get cloudy .. depends on the weather.



There is no "proper" mixture although the 1:4 mix is most popular. A
1:1 mixture is often more attractive to the bird. The bird needs a
huge amount of food to stay alive. The 1:4 mixture is used to
increase frequency. Some recommend starting with the high sugar
mixture and then cutting back to get the birds to feed more often.

In the Colorado Mountains, even with the 1:4 mixture, you will be
refilling it a couple times a day. The air battles are most
entertaining.

This time of year they are migrating, perhaps most in the U.S. are
already south of the border, a few stay near the gulf.


and then cutting back to get the birds to feed more often.

Sounds like typical marketing strategy to me :-)

[Bob S.]

Charles Pisano wrote:
Is there a certain way to fashion a feeder to be more effective? Are
hummers in certain parts of the country only?
CP

Go to: http://www.hummingbirds.net/ to answer your question.

[Cheri]

On Sat, 07 Oct 2006 07:35:56 -0500, DK wrote:

I made some sugar syrup with 1 part sugar and 2 parts water, boiled
it and put it out and waited.

The visitor arrived several hours later, stuck its beak in the
solution and then flew off.

I was insulted.

The newsgroup rec.birds is a good place to get good info.

Cheri

[[email protected]]

The last I heard too rich a sugar syrup damages their livers.

DK wrote:
I made some sugar syrup with 1 part sugar and 2 parts water, boiled
it and put it out and waited.

The visitor arrived several hours later, stuck its beak in the
solution and then flew off.

I was insulted.

[George E. Cawthon]

What you heard is wrong. It causes tongue ulcers,
which makes feeding difficult and painful.


wrote:
The last I heard too rich a sugar syrup damages their livers.

DK wrote:
I made some sugar syrup with 1 part sugar and 2 parts water, boiled
it and put it out and waited.

The visitor arrived several hours later, stuck its beak in the
solution and then flew off.

I was insulted.

[aspasia]

On 7 Oct 2006 08:58:59 -0700, "Tater" wrote:


DK wrote:
I made some sugar syrup with 1 part sugar and 2 parts water, boiled
it and put it out and waited.

The visitor arrived several hours later, stuck its beak in the
solution and then flew off.

I was insulted.

they got tiny brains, it'll take weeks for them to show up regularly.

I assume this is why you are insulted, that and maybe you expected them
to gorge themselves, they don't, unless they know it is an established
food source.

My parents got a hummer feeder on the edge of their porch. been there
for years, they can expect 4 visits an hour at it in good weather, have
even hed them perch there and even have males chase other males out.

I'd suggest one drop of red food coloring in the water. or a feeder of
bright red coloring.

No, no, no! No food coloring IN THE WATER! Check out the Web using
keywords like "humming birds + food coloring" and you will see why!

Feeder can be red if you like, but best bet is to plant something
underneath that has red flowers -- mine is fuschia - many other
choices.

Aspasia

they come, they sip for less than 5 seconds then go. thats their nature