We are rapidly approaching the seasonal return of that oh so familiar buzz in the air, and the first appearances of the broadtail hummingbird scouts! Those of you who have followed my social media pages for some time know well my affinity for these tiny delights! The scouts tend to arrive around the end of March, a few weeks before the main migration, sometimes seeking out new territories, but often returning to familiar trees and sources of food. If you happen to enjoy having these winged jewels around, its about time to get those feeders out of storage and well cleaned before the first birds show up.
A proper “syrup” consists of 1 part sugar and 4 parts water, generally bringing the water to a boil first, then removing from heat and adding the sugar, stirring until completely dissolved. In no way should you ever use the red dyed mixes that are often sold with feeders, as it can be toxic to the birds. Only white refined sugar should be used (no raw, organic, turbinado, powdered, brown, etc.), as being so small, they are susceptible to iron build-up in their livers, which can make them sick or even kill them. Part of the refining process of white sugar is purposed to remove the iron, making it ideal for the birds consumption.
As mentioned above, proper cleaning of your feeder(s) is essential as well, as feeders can develop a black mold that if consumed by the birds will give them a fungal infection that swells their tongues, blocking their ability to drink or eat. An infected bird is usually noted by holding its head up with its tongue sticking out and may also be panting a good bit trying to breathe around the swollen tongue. Sadly, the infection is usually fatal. Cleaning of the feeders should ideally be done between batches of syrup, which should be changed after 5 days so as to prevent fermentation in the sun.
If you happen to be feeding a lot of birds, I learned a fun little tip a few years ago to get a good idea of just how many you might actually be enjoying. Broadtails (far and away our most common, as well as typically largest species here on the front range) consume an average of .5 oz’s of liquid/nectar per day. If you keep track of how much you are filling your feeders, the math is simple. If your birds drain a 3 cup (24 ounce) feeder in a day, you have likely fed between 40 and 50 different birds with that one feeder. In my own heyday with the winged jewels, I learned I was feeding well over 400 birds per day during peak season. Quite a stunning number, and may well be even more if one takes into account that they are also likely feeding from flowers throughout the day as well!
Being that they always arrive before our last snowstorms, it is good to get the feeders out to give them nourishment to help keep them warm. Feeding is certainly not necessary by any means, as they have been doing this migration for countless years and are quite accustomed to the cold, but I’m sure they quite enjoy it. On cold nights, they will go into a state of torpor (a kind of temporary hibernation), with their metabolism slowing down dramatically, and can actually be found hanging upside down as they may flip under their perch in this deep sleep. Their tiny feet stay clenched, keeping them on the branch, and as the sun arises they warm up and wake up, usually making a beeline to food to get their metabolism going again. As with any time of the year, it is imperative to bring in those feeders at night, as it may well attract a bear, which this time of year is going to be quite hungry as they wake up, and once a bear gets accustomed to the easy food, they will become regular, and as we all know too well, a fed bear is a dead bear. Keep your eyes peeled and your ears open for that one-of-a-kind buzz in the air that is always one of our more joyful signifiers of the warm days of summer ahead!
Originally published in The Mountain-Ear
