There is a certain restlessness in the air. As if alerted by an invisible force, many of our favorite summer birds are already preparing to take their long journey down south in search of more temperate climates. In the past two weeks, there has been an upsurge of hummingbird activity that can only mean one thing: it’s time to pack the proverbial bags and move on.
To my disappointment, this summer as a whole has been surprisingly lacking in hummingbirds. As usual at the beginning of “hummer season,” I waited with bated breath for the first flicker of green and red and immediately whipped out the hummingbird feeders. It was almost as if the hummers were trying to avoid me; I hardly ever saw them at the freshly-stocked feeders and rarely glimpsed any feasting in the gardens planned for their pleasure. I still can’t guess why they have been so elusive for the past two months.
Thankfully, the need to fatten up for their long migration to Mexico lured many of the flying flowers out of hiding. Now, I see several every time I go outside. The hummingbird feeders have also been transformed into the usual battleground, with tiny iridescent darts dueling for the next sip of sugar-water.
This is the most important time of the summer to make sure that your hummingbird feeders are ready for action. With the fading of nectar-rich flowers, the hummers rely on feeders to pack on the pounds—ahem, fractions of ounces, rather—that will enable them to survive their voyage. Therefore, it is imperative that you keep your feeders clean and free of scum (especially in the drinking portals!) and check to see that the sugar in your feeders is fresh. It is all right to slightly increase the amount of sugar you put in your feeders at this time of year. However it is wise not to exceed the ratio of two tablespoons of sugar per four ounces of water, for fear of bands of inebriated hummingbirds flying down the Atlantic coast. Continue putting out feeders until mid-September. You could help a late straggler survive the trip!
Don’t forget to e-mail me at chickadee@att.net with all of your questions and late-summer sightings! Happy Birding!
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