With the advent of spring and summer comes a bevy of birding-related things to consider. Here is a (by no means comprehensive) list of things to think about in the coming weeks:
1. The return of the hummingbirds means that it's time to dust off the hummingbird feeders and whip up a fresh and strong batch of sugar water to keep the little ones fueled. The standard recipe is 1 parts sugar and 4 parts water (you can make this a little stronger to lure the hummers in, but do not exceed the ratio too much). Make sure your feeders are kept clean and that sugar water is kept fresh. Especially when the weather is warm, it's important to make sure that you replace the sugar water in your feeders every 3 days or so, to avoid fermentation and spoilage that could harm your hummers. Soap and hot water are useful to clean your feeders, as are Q-tips, which you can use to get rid of black mildew and scum in the feeder portals.
2. Make sure that all nesting boxes are cleaned out and ready for action. Look for damage or structural problems, such as a leaky roof or a rotted perch. Also make sure to clean nesting boxes with very hot water and a little bit of soap (rinse well, of course) to kill any nasty things that might be lurking from previous occupants.
3. Plant bird-friendly plants and flowers. Plant some liatris or sunflowers, which both have seed heads that birds will flock to. For hummingbirds, plant some red and nectar-rich flowers. Favourites include beebalm, trumpet flowers, hostas, false mallow, touch-me-nots, fringed bleeding hearts, cardinal flowers, and many others.
4. Just because it's warm out doesn't mean that you can't still serve suet. While a ball of fat might not fare the best in the hot sun, the suet cakes sold at hardware stores and birding shops stay clean and keep birds happy. Flavours are varied and can be altered to attract a different crowd.
These are just a few things to jumpstart ypur birding season. So slather on some sun screen and venture outdoors!
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