The Feeder

The hummingbird feeder I put up a few weeks ago has been visited regularly by those it was intended for,and also by others.

First, a word about the hummingbirds. I had not realized how territorial these little creatures are. There's one (I'm 99% sure it's the same one) who will chase away intruders whenever they show up. He seems to own the feeder and the surrounding air. He's never far away, and usually he remains out of my line of sight as I look out the kitchen window. But the instant a trespasser comes near the feeder, out he swoops like a well-aimed crossbow dart and chases the newcomer away in a high-speed pursuit, until the two disappear into the trees across the backyard. You may think I don't know one hummingbird from the next, but I think I do. This guy is aggressive like you would not believe. I wonder how many intruders he may have damaged with his sharp little beak.

Second, hummingbird nectar is nothing more than one part pure sugar to four parts pure water. The manufactured stuff has red coloring added, because it is believed that the red will attract the birds. Maybe it does, and maybe it doesn't. When I'm out of the store-bought stuff, the next fill-up will be with sugar water. We'll see what the difference is.

Third, bees, wasps, and ants also like sugar water. Ants especially. They can really foul the feeder up. So I had a little plastic pill container filled with water, and added it above the contraption to act like a moat, keeping ants from getting down to the feeder. It works great. You should see the frustrated ants who tried desperately to crawl down the hanging wire, and had nowhere to go except back the way they came. Ant confusion is a very satisfying sight to behold. It was no picnic for them.