13 July 2006

Hummer in hand

Take a close look. The little blighter has actually landed on my finger!
(click image to see enlargement)


By the way. If you put up hummer feeders it is really best not to use the colored premade-crap-kind of nectar. Food coloring is bad enough for us bigguns never mind a critter as small as a hummingbird. It is also so much cheaper to make your own. Sugar and water. That's it.

Here's the recipe for the syrup:

  • Use one part ordinary white cane sugar to four parts water.
  • It's not necessary to boil the water. The microorganisms that cause fermentation don't come from the water; they are transported to the feeder on hummingbird bills.
  • Store unused syrup in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
This is an all around great hummer info site: http://www.hummingbirds.net/index.html
Read this if you care to know more about dye in hummer food: http://www.hummingbirds.net/dye.html

Also try to find a feeder with a perch. While they have no problem feeding with out one, every ounce of energy they can save is a huge help to survival.



Photos were all taken holding the camera in my right hand while holding the feeder in the other hand.


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Those birdies do love their crimson crow!

Lee Hartsfeld said...

That's one of the coolest flying saucers I've ever seen!

An E.T. bird?


Lee

Gwen said...

That is a really cool pic! I had no idea that they would actually land on you!!

patrick said...

you can do that?