Yesterday I was sitting here on the couch researching things for future blogs when I noticed this little bird trying to see through my storm door.

I grabbed up the camera and attempted to get a good shot of him/her while they flitted around my hummingbird feeders and the lilac bush.

I had noticed that my lilac was starting its second bloom of the season a few days ago and knew that I MUST get some shots of the blooms before I cut them to bring into the house. I love the fragrance of lilac and the smell seems to permeate the house with “summer!”

What surprised me, however, was that this lilac bush was a haven for at least 5 hummingbirds! I didn’t realize that they would congregate like other birds do. I love to watch these little guys and could spend hours watching them. Did you know that they are the smallest animal to have a backbone? and they have the largest brain of birds? but yet no sense of smell? SO, I wonder, how do they know which is nectar and what isn’t?

Here are more facts about hummingbirds –

http://howtoenjoyhummingbirds.com/

They love nectar and sometimes, there is not enough to go around so we make nectar and place it in feeders for the hummers’  drink.

Here is a recipe for homemade nectar:

Hummingbird Nectar Recipe

1 part sugar/4 parts water

Boil the water first, then measure and add sugar, at the rate of 1/4 cup of sugar to 1 cup of water.

Let cool and store excess in refrigerator until ready to use.

Do not add food coloring, honey (which ferments), or artificial sweetener, which has no nutritional value.

You will need to clean your feeder about once a week. According to the National Audubon Society, this should be done by rinsing with one part white vinegar to four parts water. If the feeder is dirty, try adding a few grains of dry rice to the vinegar solution to help scrub it clean. Follow the vinegar wash by rinsing three times with clear, warm water before refilling with sugar solution.

http://www.allfreecrafts.com/nature/hummingbird-food.shtml

Enjoy!!!