Zippin along by JeffreyW
“How do you fall in love with hummingbirds?” I asked my teens. We were sitting at the kitchen table eating dinner while two female ruby-throated hummers flitted back and forth outside the window.
My two teens stared blankly back at me. Silence… “I mean it,” I said, “I want to tell people how to fall in love with hummingbirds. How do you do it?” Still silence. “Well,” I said, “How do you fall in love?”
Falling in love is simple
“What is the first step in falling in love?”
My teen daughter was growing impatient. “You see. You fall in love,” was her curt reply. “Who needs to ask how to fall in love with a hummingbird? It’s simple. Just see one.”
How to see hummingbirds
Assuming you don’t have Mom to do it for you, it’s still surprisingly easy to “snare” a hummingbird or two to fall in love with. Here are five ways to attract them.
- Add at least one native flowering plant or shrub with red, trumpet-shaped flowers to your garden.
- Hang a hummingbird feeder – preferably from your window.
- Leave slim dead branches on your trees. Hummingbirds need very narrow perches for their tiny feet. They like to sit on leafless branches, which give them an open view.
- Put out rotten fruit, such as tomatoes and banana peels. Hummingbirds need small insects to add protein to their diet and they enjoy fruit flies.
- Tie bright red, pink, or orange ribbons to your trees and to your feeder. When you put up a new feeder hummers will need to find it before you will see them. Hummers are attracted to red, pink, and orange objects.
Are you in love yet?
“It’s easy to fall in love with a hummingbird.” My teens haven’t forgotten my dumb question – two days later they’re still shaking their heads over it. Is it really that easy, or does life get in the way for most of us? Have you fallen in love with nature yet?
Kid tip: actions speak louder than words. When kids live with adults who respect and care for nature they just think that’s the way the world is.
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I like your daughter’s response, lol, “you see you fall inlove” that isn’t going to change much is it
)
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You are right Ella. Sometimes I just need a reality check from a teen kid. Such wisdom
Thanks for the information about them needing bugs to eat. I had no idea.
You are welcome Jean. Yes, I always wondered how hummers could get protein. Apparently they will also eat small bugs that are nectaring on flowers.
Thank you for the post. Couldn’t agree with you more on the “When kids live with adults who respect and care for nature they just think that’s the way the world is” It’s true for other aspects of life / manners as well. I teach my 5 year old to treat nature the same way he wants to be treated: respect, tenderness etc. Hummingbirds are so tiny and cute, it’s impossible not to fall in love with them.
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So true Jo, if you say thank you every time kids hear that and copy (at least when they are little). It’s much more effective teaching than telling kids to do something we forget to do ourselves. I’m so happy to meet another hummingbird enthusiast. Thanks for your comment.
I keep fallen in love with nature. there is nothing more amazing them nature. I totally agree with your tip. I guess because my mother love nature so bad I love it too.
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I like the technique you teach your kids on loving nature. When in the presence of nature, it is amazing how we stand still, stare and just feel a deep appreciate of its beauty. I know I’ll feel the same way when finally witnessing a hummingbird.
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My Dad has a few hummingbird feeders outside his home in Salisbury, NC and they’re always very active with these little guys. The photo you posted here is amazing! I took a shot of a hummingbird nesting in Oaxaca, Mexico and it’s one of our faves.
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I thinks i’m in love withe hummingbirds, they are adorable… And I love nature, those flowers, the oceans and the trees. And most of all the beach.
You need to attract one to see one… and then you can fall in love
Great post Alison
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Hummingbirds are so adorable. Thanks for writing this!
Hi Alison…All my life, I haven’t seen any hummingbirds maybe because I seldom go out of the house…But I am looking forward to have them in my garden and see them personally…
what has seemed like a terrible end of summer for hummingbirds with allt he rain we had mine have just left for the season.see ya next year hummingbirds
Jen, you enjoy the hummingbirds and I feed them! you know they love me because I am the ones who give them there sugar water!
I love watching hummingbirds in pictures but I want to see this birds in real. They are truly lovely birds..
I am a nature lover.. I never see humming birds in person.. But I am so excited to see it! Thanks for share this great thoughts about humming birds..
Oh yeah me too, I’m the who nature lover..i really love to spend my time width.
I love hummingbirds and I always try to have them in my garden…I even enjoy them flying around my house…
I love nature, I love pets and I do love hummingbirds. They are so adorable.
I feel always in love with my husband and my daughter! Never endless love!
Love is one of the best things we can give to our family…Thank you for the post…
I haven’t seen any hummingbirds in person and I think they are so adorable that every person will like them…
When you love, it hurts because you ‘fall’ in love! Quotes apart, I would like to say that you have presented great ways of attracting a humming bird. Yes, I am in love with every aspect of nature. I love nature due to the peace it gives, and the silence and poise it maintains!
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Reading your post just make me remember the bird that makes her nest on a lemon tree just outside our dining area. With a four cornered table everybody can see what she was doing with her little birds as she feeds it with worm. It was such a beautiful sight. Living on a village away from the city makes it more beautiful since you still can see butterflies in your garden or birds in your lemon tree. It is such a lovely sight that cannot be replaced by any artificial sight such as on TV.
I quite agree, there is no substitute for real nature.
The photo you posted here is amazing! I took a shot of a hummingbird nesting in Oaxaca, Mexico and it’s one of our faves. |
Yes, I have fallen in love with nature. I love the beauty of nature and would like to wake up every morning viewing this beauty. I love birds but I do not want to keep them as pets as I do not want to cage them. I like them flying in the sky!
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I agree Rosalia. I also like to see birds flying free, rather than as pets.
That is a great way to teach your kids on how to love nature. It is amazing how much appreciation I feel whenever I take time to watch and enjoy the scenery. It is just so relaxing and it is sad that it is not often that I do that.
Hi!
I have my own garden and watch birds coming over there and taking shelter. I love nature and work a lot to preserve it.
Hummingbirds and butterflies are two things I can never get enough of. So peaceful and beautiful. Thanks for the snaring tips.
Great post! Nature and all it’s beauty! What’s not to love?
We had a humming bird out at our feeder in front of the house last summer and it was amazing. I just hope that it comes back this year – the kids loved it.
I live in a neighborhood where there are humming birds. They are so beautiful, and being around them makes me feel a sense of peace. I cannot get enough of them.
Thanks for sharing Calvin. Aren’t they amazing!
Now i am going to fall in love with hummingbirds by following the 5 steps to attract hummingbirds. I hope they will come to my garden.
I hope so too Joe!
I just got my first hummingbird feeder for the first time ever and much to my delight, the tiny creatures have adopted it.
Now I have to put up another one because of all the fighting among the little males!
The feeder is right outside my kitchen window, and my presence doesn’t seem to bother them at all. What a lovely show they put on!
Hummingbird is the lovely cute bird. Anybody will want to get them at their garden. So, its a great idea of getting hummingbirds at any garden. Thanks for this nice post.