Sunday, September 18, 2016

Garden Guest: Hummingbird on a Feeder

  The north side of our front yard is a certified  National Wildlife Federation Backyard Habitat.  Really!  We have a certificate!  You can do the same by providing food, water, cover and places for wildlife to raise their young.  It is so much fun to see all of the critters that stop by for a visit.  I have a series of posts to show you our Garden Guests.
 

If you would like to see more, please take a look at my Gardening Page  
 
  
 
 
 My pretty little guest is a female Ruby Throated Hummingbird.  This feeder hangs on our back porch near a pot of Red Cypress Vine.




The seeds were a gift from my friend, Lois, who is originally from Louisiana.  Lois told me Red Cypress Vine can grow quite aggressively in deep Southern states.  Here in Arkansas, it is a lovely annual that blooms in late Summer and early Fall.  Since Hummers are attracted to trumpet shapes and the color red, this is a perfect plant for inviting them to visit!  They will cruise the feeders and, of course, the plants in my garden.  Their favorites seem to be a couple of Native Honeysuckles and native cross vine.  I've written about cross vine before HERE and THERE.  They also enjoy our Red Buckeye Tree in early Spring.

 
 

'Such a pretty little guest! 

I'd like to give you one more hummingbird tip.  Notice there is a goopy something on the hanger of the feeder?  As clean feeders are placed each week, I add a thick layer of petroleum jelly a couple of inches wide to the hangers.  This discourages ants.  They won't touch petroleum jelly. 
 
 What's happening in your back yard?
 
;-)  -Marci

6 comments:

  1. Thanks for the petroleum jelly tip. I have a hard time keeping the big black ants out of the feeders. Somehow they even get inside with the liquid. Now if there was a way to keep the yellow jackets away. At least the feeder is far enough from their nest that they aren't aggressive. I took my feeder down about a month ago. The hummingbird had already moved on, probably starting south for the winter. - Margy

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  2. Hello, Pretty captures of your hummingbird. I love the beautiful red cypress vine. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Happy Sunday, enjoy your day and the new week ahead!

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  3. Love our little hummers! Our backyard here in the northwoods of Michigan's U.P. is a haven for hummingbirds. We had 5 feeders this summer, and we counted 17 hummingbirds at once one afternoon this year. They're all on their way south now. I spray our shepherd's hooks with Pam to keep the ants away from the feeders. Spraying the feeders with Pam seems to discourage the bees when I notice them becoming a problem.

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    1. Thank you for the tip about cooking spray! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures

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  4. What a cute little garden guest! Love that cypress vine, definitely want to grow some in my garden again. Thank you so much for sharing this with us at Dishing It & Digging It :)

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