I put the feeders up a week later than usual this year, March 7th, and have had non stop activity even with the weather. Every year since we've lived in this house, they have nested in our pine trees in the back and they're very territorial when the other birds go to the seed feeders to eat. Every year I look forward to their arrival. I know, , but it's fun.

We put ours up last week, and we have a pair stopping at it already.

My In-laws have several feeders, and are on their 4th generation of Breeding Pairs. During midsummer the backyard is like a WWII dogfight and they get grouchy if you're too close to "their territory."

Not yet, some the last few years. What recipe do you guys use for nectar? I bought some at Home Depot last year and the birds didn't like it. Also, do you keep the feeders in the sun or shade......does it matter?

the males showed up first about a week ago and yesterday the first female made her first landing on the feeder.We have quite few HBs spring and summer .Last year this one guy would buzzz around and then land on one of the feeders within a arms reach of me and just watch ,it was a daily thing the wife just could not belive as see could not get near them funny little Birds

My Grandparents have been birdwatchers for probably 50 years. So I use their recipie. Pretty complicated...1Cup Sugar, 4 Cups water. My hummers seem to enjoy it well enough that last year I was having to fill 2 of them almost every other day.

Grandfolks said they dont use coloring in theirs (say its bad for the birds), but I add a little bit of red to mine. I think it helps attract them.
Ben

Took me a minute to get this one....tree hugger. HAW!! Thats funny dude.
Ben

I use the 4-1 recipe also, cook it a little, and I don't use coloring. 2 of the 3 feeders have red on them. I just hang them on the eve, so when it's sunny, they're in the sun. When it's hot out I have to change the juice more often if there's any left because it will go bad.

Sugar to water of 1:4 works well as others have said. Food coloring and pre-made mix with all kinds of additives are probably not best for them, just use feeders/bee screens with any bright color on them.

If you're patient, you can hold an index finger under the feed tube and after awhile a bold one will sit on your finger and give you a look over. He may even sit there while his buddies buzz him. I've had them drink while hanging feeders.

Don't crowd them until they get used to you. Start by just standing nearby a single feeder. If you have a number of them out, they'll just move to a distant one. Then with hold your finger a couple inches below the feed tube and raise your finger slowly to their feet while one's feeding. Just try to suppress the instant smile or giggle.... As a kid, I used to spend hours at my grandma's house with them buzzing all around me. Had a few run into me during dogfights. My love and her mother didn't believe me when I told them how they'd sit on your finger. I can still see their smiles in my mind when that first one perched on their finger.... Go ahead, be a kid again

So what am I doing wrong?? I put my feeders out about three weeks ago, and I haven't gotten one bird? Last year the same. I got one bird that showed up just a couple of times during the summer? I put two feeders out this year and they both have the bright colors on them? What else is there to do to attract them? Or is my area jsut vacant of humming birds?
Buck

Buck,
Could be that it's still early.... I've only seen one so far while mountain bike riding last week and don't have any feeders out yet. They arrive in numbers mid-April. As others have said, it's important to keep the syrup fresh or they seem to know when it's sketchy and won't touch it. And to keep them full once they've discovered your feeders. When my love's folks are here in the spring, grandma keeps them tanked up on fresh AvGas and they keep her entertained with their aerial antics and nesting in the nearby trees and shrubs.

OK. After contributing to this topic, I need to go fishing again....

Early on I mix sugar/water at almost 3:1 instead of 4:1. I boil the sugar water and cool it well before setting it out. The extra sugar kind of makes up for the long Winter trip they just flew. I cut the mix down after they have been around for a month or so. I'm not getting any to the feeder right now tho. We live in a valley where it is frosting almost every night...tough on birds. But they will show soon.

It was 26 here when I left for work this morning at 5:45.