Toronto, Ontario

I thought I saw a hummingbird…I did…I did!!

April is the time to prepare for the return of the "jewels of the garden". Our hummingbird, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird is on the way, they have already been sighted in Baltimore and Connecticut, so it won’t be too much longer.

The opportunity to see hummingbirds through-out their nesting season is great! Living in local urban areas such as Caledon, Bolton and Halton Hills gives you that wonderful opportunity. And we are always jealous (but thrilled to hear) of the great hummingbird stories from customers who spend time in The Kawarthas, Muskokas and Haliburton Highlands. In the GTA most of us have to be happy with a lucky glimpse in the spring (May-June) or in the fall (August-September) but based on customer sightings reported to us in 2012 there are some summer GTA hotspots that have all summer success with hummingbirds. In 2013 nesting hotspots included:

Etobicoke around Centennial Park and south of The Queensway along the Etobicoke Creek green space
Properties along the Lakeshore
Mississauga along the Credit River green space in particular around the Riverwood Conservancy and Erindale Park
Whether you will get just a lucky glimpse or have the jewels of summer with you throughout the season it is always as a thrill to see these amazing diminutive creatures.

A few reminders for the new season

Nectar

Nectar formula – 4 parts water to 1 part white table sugar
This ratio is the closet to the chemical make-up of naturally occurring nectar
Boil the water and add the sugar. Boiling helps dissolve the sugar and if you are unsure of the quality of the water (possible bacteria in the water), boiling will sterilize the water and reduce the potential fermentation of the nectar (cloudy nectar)
In the GTA boiling the water will also help remove much of the chlorine
Do not use red food dye, honey or brown sugar
Commercially sold fine grind white cane sugar (such as WBU Hummingbird/Oriole Nectar) is another excellent choice
Nectar Change Guideline

Temperature…...............Change nectar after

    ºF      ºC    

71-75 (22-24).................................6 days

76-80 (24-27).................................5 days

81-84 (27-29).................................4 days

85-88 (29-31).................................3 days

89-92 (32-33).................................2 days

93+    (34+)....................................change daily

Or whenever the nectar appears cloudy, often this is a sign of bacterial growth in the nectar

Cleaning your hummingbird feeder

Plastic feeders or parts - do not use soap to clean the feeder/parts. Studies have shown the plastic can absorb the taste of the plastic and the hummingbirds often avoid these feeders
Just rinse the feeder/parts with water, if cleaning is needed use vinegar or for serious cleaning use bleach and in each case thoroughly rinse the feeder
Glass/metal feeders or parts – rinse with water but if cleaning is required the use of soap, vinegar or bleach is acceptable. Rinse thoroughly
Feeder Placement

If a hummingbird/s were visiting your hummingbird feeder last year use the same location, hummingbirds have a great memory
A study conducted at University of Lethbridge in Alberta revealed
"The birds can remember where every flower in their territory is and how long it takes to refill with nectar after they have fed. They also remember year to year where each feeder is, both at home and along a migration path."
Feeders should be placed in shaded areas to help slow down the fermentation of the nectar
The feeder should be within 10 – 15 feet of cover and a tall tree
Hummingbirds will perch high in the tree to check the area out, to ensure their safety and to keep an eye on the food source
Cover is required close by for a quick exit if needed
If outdoor cats are a possibility hang the feeder 5 feet or higher with no plantings below
If outdoor cats are not an issue lower is OK and amongst native flowering plants can work very well
Hummingbird feeders attached directly to the window or hung off a window can work very well in some areas
In high hummingbird traffic areas try to keep multiple feeders located out of sight of each other. Hummingbirds can be very territorial and vigorously protect a prized food source. So like the old saying, "Out of sight out of mind"
 

To keep an eye on the movement north of our Ruby-throated Hummingbird check out  Hummingbird Migration Map for the latest sightings and then using this info you will know when it is time to hang out your welcome of nectar to our the jewels of summer.

We hope you will be calling us this year and exclaiming, "I saw a hummingbird…I did…I did!!