As fast and tiny as they are, hummingbirds can be hard to get a good look at sometimes. This one has a drop of feeder nectar at the end of its beak.
Attracting
Hummingbirds Tips for Feeding Everyone’s Favorite Tiny Fliers Story and photos by David Cook fter the long, dreary days of late winter and early spring, getting back into the garden is a priority for many of us. And while we anxiously scan the ground for bits of green pushing through the dirt, there’s another aspect of gardening which is equally anticipated – the return of hummingbirds and other pollinators. While the focus of this advice may lean toward attracting and feeding hummingbirds, any experienced gardener will know that what attracts hummingbirds will also likely attract other important pollinators, namely bees and butterflies. GETTING STARTED Hummingbirds are eager eaters needing a near-constant sup-
ply of nectar, so when they find a steady source of food, they’ll happily make the area part of their daily routine. They’ll often visit several times a day, going from flower to flower, and flower to feeder. Butterflies tend to be more erratic in their feeding patterns, but bees will make several return visits to their favorite flowers throughout the day, much like hummingbirds. Molly Blogg, manager of Hornbaker Gardens, enjoys the perk of working in a hummingbird-friendly environment. Located just outside of Princeton, Hornbaker Gardens features an impressive collection of several hundred varieties of flowering plants, trees, and shrubs. The idyllic area has many hummingbird favorites – a bounty of blooms, plenty of shade, beautiful display gardens, ponds, a waterfall, fountains, and birdbaths.
“We see a lot of them out here. It’s exciting seeing them flit in and out,” Blogg said one early spring morning as she helped begin the process of waking the gardens from their long winter’s nap to prepare for the upcoming season’s business. While planning your garden, it’s best to keep in mind that each type of flower has a limited time to bloom, so it’s helpful to choose varieties that will pop at different times throughout spring, summer, and early autumn. Hummingbirds, as well as bees and butterflies, tend to favor flowers in reds, blues, and purples, but they’ll also eat from flowers of other colors if they need the nectar. The shape is another consideration, as hummingbirds love long, tubular flowers and clusters of tiny blooms. See BIRDS page 14
A NewsTribune Publication | HG&L in the Illinois Valley | April 2022 13
