Go Watch Birds

It is summer in Arizona again. Mid August. I am a transplant from the east coast and we never got tired of summer in New York. But we always got tired of winter. In Arizona the heat starts to ware you out around the middle of August.  And we still have several months of heat left.

One positive feature of August in Arizona is the hummingbird population is at it most diverse due to the birds migration patterns.  You can find some species of hummingbird in Arizona year round but the diversity is at is peak near the end of summer. You can take advantages of the Hummingbirds of Southeastern Arizona tour that takes place the second half of August. If you don’t want to spend the money on a tour you can try to create a habitat in your own backyard garden that will attract hummingbirds year round.

There are several things you can do to attract hummingbirds. Having native plants like ocotillio that allow for both feeding and nesting of hummers. Plants with flowers tubular shaped flowers that produce nectar is high in sucrose will work the best. The idea of having plants that are native to the area ensures that the birds are familiar with the plants and are naturally attracted to them. Having brightly colored flowers also helps.

In addition to strategic plant selection a well placed hummingbird feeder is always a good idea. There are many different styles of hummingbird feeder on the market.  It seems that this type of feeder allows for the prettiest designs of all bird feeder types. There are fancy blown glass hummingbird feeders that are very pleasing to the eye. There are hummingbird feeders made to look like a martini or margarita glass.  There are also very inexpensive feeders made of plastic some utilizing empty soda bottles. When selecting a hummingbird feeder be sure to consider where you are putting it in your garden. If it is in direct sunlight a plastic feeder may degrade quickly and a glass feeder may be a better choice. But if there is a chance that a stray football or baseball may smack into it then a less expensive plastic model may be a better choice. Be sure to select a model that is bee and wasp proof.

When filling your bird feeder be sure to use nectar with real sugar. Ether mix up a batch of your own nectar (Soon I will write a post how to do this) or purchase some instant hummingbird nectar from a nature or bird watching site. And remember, you always have room for one more hummingbird feeder in your yard.  They never disappoint.

Filed under: Bird Feeders, Hummingbirds on August 20th, 2009