Wow - that seems early! I'll keep my eyes open to see those lovelies.

I had a male migrate through my yard last week. I spotted him at at the feeder outside the kitchen window at 7:11 in the evening. He was tanking up for the last leg of his journey. He perched in the bushes next to the feeder and just kept coming back over to the feeder. He made about 6 or 7 trips to the feeder before dusk and was on his way just after dawn the next day.

It isn't too early to hang a feeder so please put up a feeder if you haven't already done so because there isn't much in bloom yet in western NY that they can nectar from. Even the Native columbine isn't blooming yet.

PLEASE don't use that red dyed commercial nectar! Please only use plain sugar water....1 part sugar to either 3 or 4 parts water....NO Food coloring, syrup, honey or any other additive.
Penny

I thought I heard a Hummer this morning, so I have a batch of sugar water cooling as we speak.

I usually have three hummer nests here each year and see a few youngsters at the feeders as the season wanes. I have 4 feeders and try to space them far enough apart, with sufficient tree or bush cover to mitigate the fighting.

Penny, I have tied several times to use just sugar water, but it never gets as much attention as when I add some red food coloring. Most of my feeders have some red on them and I thought that would be enough, but it doesn't seem so. Any suggestions?

-Rosalinda

Rosalinda,
Stick with the sugar water and be sure it is pure cane sugar. If you are using sugar that doesn't say pure cane then it is beet sugar and they don't care for that as much. Another thing you can do this time of the year is use the 3:1 ratio instead of 4:1. 3 parts water to 1 part sugar. It helps them a little more this time of the year until more flowers are in bloom. They will eventually get used to the clear nectar. It isn't so much that they like it more as it is that they can see it more easily. I used to paint one feeder bottle red on the outside with cheap craft paint... just a thin coat until they got used to coming to the feeder.

Penny