fingers spread wide over the perches of a Humzinger feeder |
I bought more feeders over time. It seemed like the more feeders there were, the less fighting amongst the birds. Next, I decided to attract more hummers to my house by placing even more feeders around my deck to entice those flying by who might not see the feeders tucked under my roof. I found that the McCormick brand spice jars were perfect for the job. I had recently cleaned out my pantry and pulled some spices that were very old and stale off the shelf. I emptied them and soaked the jars in boiling water to loosen the labels and sterilize them. Next, I drilled holes in the red tops. McCormick has designed a top that comes with a snap lid with an inner lid with pre-made holes. How handy! Remember, if you drill your own holes, smooth out the edges with a file.
McCormick spice jars |
Spice Jar feeder inside bowl of water to detract ants |
If you are fortunate to live where hummingbird traffic is heavy and they swarm around feeders, the jar is your ticket to a magical close encounter. In the video below, it took about 5 minutes before I had a few visitors to my feeder. That's not a very long time to wait and the rush of standing in the middle of a hummingbird swarm is pure happiness! Scroll 2/3 way through for the close up! Turn up the volume!
My Youtube Hummingbird Playlist
More info on handfeeding hummingbirds
If you would like to make your own hummingbird food, here is the recipe:
More info on handfeeding hummingbirds
If you would like to make your own hummingbird food, here is the recipe:
1 part sugar
4 parts water
Boil the sugar water until the sugar is completely dissolved. This will also kill any mold or bacteria that might be present. Do not boil longer as that will make syrup and change the water/sugar ratio. Never add red food coloring. That can make birds sick. Wait for the water to cool before filling feeders.
I hope some of you get a chance to try this inexpensive method to get close to these little jewels.