Bird Watching Hummingbirds In Your Own Yard and Other Locations
July 2nd, 2008 Posted in Bird Watching HummingbirdsOne of the most interesting hobbies is bird watching. It has become more and more popular of late and not just for those folk who are fascinated with nature and ecology. Many of the subjects seen during bird watching are great for photographing. All this whilst you are learning about the way they live and how they behave!
Bird watching hummingbirds is greatly appreciated by birders in several locations around the country and they are such fun to observe. Also, if you provide the best environment for bird watching hummingbirds, you may well attract them to your back yard and you will then have the convenience of looking at them from home.
Places to Visit to Bird Watch Hummingbirds
If you have decided that you fancy a spot of bird watching hummingbirds, you have the option of going to National Parks or joining organizations like Hummer/Bird Study Group. You can join by visiting their website. If you would like to go one step further you can fill out an on line form and become a member, however, this is not free of charge. But don’t let this worry you. Your membership fees and any donations you make not only preserve such beautiful and vibrantly colored birds, but are tax deductible too. On the website you will find information about events taking place to do with bird watching hummingbirds, not just in your local area but in many different states.
Another super website to take a look at if you are seriously interested in bird watching hummingbirds is the www.sabo.org. Located in Southeastern Arizona they have field organizations, a calendar of events and many other activities which focus mainly on the watching and preservation of hummingbirds.
Costa Rica, Peru, and Ecuador are all countries to consider if you are planning to go abroad to do a bit of bird watching hummingbirds, and these places offer so much by way of great things to look at and an insight into the culture of the countries.
Attract Them to Your Own Back Yard
You can actually attract these stunning birds to your own yard and the easiest way of doing this is to create the perfect habitat for them. The first step you should be aware of is to provide some nectar for them. Red, orange or deep pink trumpet shaped flowers will draw the hummingbirds but your best choice would be plants native to your area, so get those green fingers working and see if you can attract the birds.
Hummingbirds eat large amounts of insects and need good shelter for making their nests. These can be supplied by planting native shrubs, trees and various other plants and seriously cutting down your use of pesticides. For excellent sources of information on how to select the right greenery, try birding and conservation organizations, botanical gardens, native plant societies and nurseries, nature centers, or state wildlife agencies. Any one of the above mentioned will help you choose and plan your landscape perfectly
One Response to “Bird Watching Hummingbirds In Your Own Yard and Other Locations”
By Zoe Ann Hinds on Jul 3, 2008
If you want to attract the hummingbirds to your own yard, doing the following things will also help you accomplish this.
You want your flower garden to consist of many levels of vegetation. The area should have some tall trees, some medium-height trees, some flowers, some grassy areas, as well as some shrubs. These different levels will provide the hummingbirds a variety of choices of where to feed or where to perch to rest or roost.
It is also important for your flower garden to have a source of water available for the hummingbirds. One way to do this is by having a birdbath available. The birdbath should have a very shallow water depth to allow the birds to stand in the water if they choose to do so. Adding some small flat rocks to the birdbath will create different water depths within the birdbath.
Hanging baskets can also be used to help attract the hummingbirds to your yard. If you use it, you should have plenty of hummingbirds in your yard.
It is very important that you select the right flowers. You will want to choose flowers that will thrive in hanging baskets and that will also attract the hummingbirds.
You will want to select plants that have nectar-rich tubular shaped blooms on them. Plants such as penstemon, salvia and petunia are excellent choices, because the hummingbirds can easily access the nectar due to their long, narrow bills and tongues.
The plant form is also very important. You will want to select flowers that stick out from a plant’s foliage, by either protruding or dangling. This is important because hummingbirds normally feed while hovering, so this will provide ample air space so the birds’ beating wings easily clear any leaves.
The plants you select for use in your hanging baskets should offer a wide variety of color. Many people often associate the color red with helping to attract hummingbirds. Red is a color which hummingbirds can see from a great distance, so offering flowers that are nectar-rich and come in various shades of red should always attract their attention. However, flowers of almost any color, including orange, pink, purple, white and yellow will also attract hummingbirds and cause them to feed from these nectar-rich plants.
The quantity of blooms a plant produces will also play an important role in attracting hummingbirds. When selecting plants, you will want to choose plants with multiple flowers in open clusters. These types of plants are more appealing than plants like hibiscus that feature a small selection of large blooms.
You will also want to consider the bloom time of the plants you select. Choosing plants that have a long bloom time will help provide the hummingbirds with a source of nectar for an extended length of time. Another way to ensure that the hummingbirds will always have a source of nectar is to select plants that have staggered bloom times.
When using hanging baskets to attract hummingbirds, there are other considerations besides specific plant characteristics that you must consider if you are to have success at it. This is what this section of the article will help you discover.
You will want to consider the type of planter that you will use. There are many varieties of planters available. The most popular hanging planters are made of wire, terra cotta, glazed ceramic, wood or plastic. One choice is a wire mesh basket lined with sphagnum moss and filled with potting soil. Another choice is the use of unglazed terra cotta pots. With this type of pots, you must water them frequently and hang them securely from a sturdy support.
Ceramic hanging pots come in many colors, including red or orange that can be used to attract hummingbirds. This type of planter often has a saucer to catch water and therefore help the plant retain moisture. You can also use wooden containers that have been painted red or orange and that are made from rot resistant redwood, cedar or cypress. Plastic pots are another alternative in which to create your hanging baskets, because they are lightweight, versatile and affordable.
It is also important to remember that any type of hanging basket will weigh more when wet than when it is not wet. It is important that the hanging basket be fastened securely overhead with sturdy hooks or screw eyes over a strong support. If your pot doesn’t have its own hanger, use galvanized wire or chain to suspend it from the desired location. Make sure to place the hanging basket in a spot that will offer enough support for the plant and won’t place too much stain on the surface below.
Compose your display
Color and texture:
You will want to use a combination of foliage and plants to attract the hummingbirds.
Height and form:
Bring depth and visual interest to your hanging basket garden by combining plants with staggered heights and habitats. Use plants that can be planted in a mound or upright in the center of the pot (zinnias). Then accent with trailing plants (verbena or petunias).