Colorful guests returning to Bella Vista
Even while social distancing to slow the spread of the coronavirus, some Bella Vistans are preparing for company. It’s time for the annual visit, and sometimes extended stay, of hummingbirds.
Some hummingbirds have already been seen in Bella Vista, Butch Tetzlaff, owner of the Bluebird Shed said last week. He believes the first hummingbirds seen are often the ones who continue traveling in order to spend their summer in Minnesota.
The birds that stay in this area for the summer will be arriving soon, he said.
Each year hummingbirds migrate south and spend the winter in southern Mexico or Coast Rica, he said. They fly directly over the Gulf of Mexico nonstop.
According to www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/birds/ facts-about-hummingbirds/, migration is triggered by the position of the sun in the sky. “Individual birds will often leave or arrive on their breeding grounds on almost the exact same day every year,” the web site reads.
Tetzlaff answers many questions about hummingbirds and his shop has a selection of feeders. When a customer comes in looking for a feeder, he asks them a few questions.
Are they looking for aesthetics or function? Glass feeders can be very attractive, but they are easily broken. Plastic can be a good compromise, he said.
There are tank-style feeders and bowl-style feeders. Birds feed from the top of a bowl feeder and bees aren’t as likely to invade it, but it’s not quite as easy to watch the birds.
Gail Storm loves to watch hummingbirds, although her yard in California drew more hummers than her yard in Bella Vista. She thinks it’s because her old yard had more flowers.
“They are so unique,” she said about the birds, “I love their maneuverability they have a lot of personality.”
If you watch carefully, individual birds have their own personality. Some are more patient than others and some are more aggressive. Sometimes one will tap on her window when they find an empty feeder.
“They can be quite friendly but some get protective,” she said. “You can see a dominant one that chases the others away from their feeder.”
Most people don’t realize that hummingbirds don’t live on nectar alone. They actually eat small insects. Some people will provide a protein feeder to attract more birds.
A protein feeder can be as simple as leaving a banana on a deck rail. As the banana ages, it draws fruit flies and the hummingbirds will appear to eat the fruit flies. There are devices that hold the fruit too, he said.
But they also need the nectar which is often provided via the feeder.
Nectar is sugar water with a four to one ratio — four parts water to one part sugar. It’s easy to make, but there are also mixes available for convenience.
In recent years, people have been advised to not use red food coloring. Tetzlaff said no one is sure that the food coloring is harmful, but it’s not necessary. Red does attract hummingbirds, but a red feeder can be used just as effective.
Don’t use a yellow feeder, he warned. Yellow will attract bees.
The nectar should be changed about every three days when it’s hot out, he said. You can tell when it goes bad because it looks cloudy and then it starts to ferment. There are preservatives that will make the nectar last longer if you don’t want to change it as often.
Many people who put out hummingbird feeders soon realize that raccoons also enjoy the nectar.
“They drink it like soda pop,” Tetzlaff said. “I’ve seen videos where they tip the feeder up and drain it into their mouths.”
The easiest way to combat raccoons is to bring the feeders in at night. Luckily, Tetzlaff said, squirrels don’t have much interest in hummingbird nectar.
Many people replace their suet feeders with hummingbird feeders as the weather warms up, Tetzlaff said, so the colorful feeders and their tiny visitors become one more sign of spring.