I'm absolutely fascinated by these little guys. As a little girl, I remember my grandmother having a hummingbird feeder outside her front window, and every once in a while we'd see a bird or two stop to get a drink.
Fast forward a few decades. When we were living in the city, we tried to come to ranch as often as we could. And three-day-weekends were always a given. Including Labor Day. I'll never forget the first time I walked into my mother-in-law's kitchen one early September day and saw dozens of hummingbirds flocking around her feeders just outside the door. I'd never seen anything like it.
Well, now we live in that house. And once again, as the great hummingbird migration hits its stride, we are inundated with these tiny birds.
Feeding these little guys is so simple. All you need is a hummingbird feeder, sugar and water. You can find hummingbird feeders at Walmart, hardware stores... And they're pretty inexpensive.
Then, to make their nectar, mix 4 parts water to 1 part sugar. That would be 1 cup of sugar mixed with 4 cups of water. I've had to double my batches lately and am usually making them twice a day as I try to keep three feeders going.
Simply put the mixture in a pot on the stove over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool before pouring into feeder.
I promise, they will love it.
In case you haven't realized it yet, today is September 11th. A day that lives vividly in minds of many Americans. Like Pearl Harbor, we were sucker-punched. Almost 3,000 people lost theirs lives and countless others were impacted. Yet out of tragedy, Americans united. Churches were filled as people looked for answers. And as we look back on that fateful day, may we never forget.
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Three-time Carol Award finalist, Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com
Those hummingbirds are so beautiful, and so much fun to watch! I haven't put out hummingbird feeders for years. We have so few birds where we live right now - it's too open, I think. Someday I hope to set up bird feeders again, and I'll certainly include hummingbird feeders!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes. September 11th. I can't believe it's been seventeen years...it seems like yesterday.
Jan, there's just something about these little birds that I can't help but watch. And it's actually quite relaxing.
DeleteSeventeen years... It really is hard to believe.
I love my hummingbird feeders. I can sit and watch them for hours. I have a couple of woodpeckers who love to visit it also. My dentist office has a hummingbird nest right outside the window and I watched the mama zip back and forth feeding 2 of the tiniest things I've ever seen. It was beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAnd I can't believe it's been 17 years. I can still remember it like it was yesterday. :(
Woodpeckers? What are you hummingbird feeders made of, LeAnne? Or are they after the hummingbirds? And how fun it would be to see their nest. I watch these little guys (and gals) fly way up on the high branches of our live oaks, so I have no hopes of seeing those babies.
DeleteI've never seen so many hummingbirds in one place before!! I've usually only seen one or two at a time. I can't believe you have to make the food twice a day!!
DeleteStill can't believe it's been 17 years. I remember that awful day so clearly. Praying today for the families of those who died.
Missy, that was my reaction the first time I saw all of them. Isn't it amazing? I think it's beginning to taper off, though, because I only had to make nectar once yesterday. We'll see what today holds.
DeleteHow lovely, Mindy.
ReplyDeleteI got to be a pro at that nectar in all the years we raised butterflies in 4th grade!
Mary Cate, I didn't know butterflies drank that nectar, too. I know the ants like it, but I bought a couple of new feeders they can't seem to get into.
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