Hummingbirds in your Campsite

[BirdMan]

Does anyone keep a hummingbird feeder (or any other birdfeeder) in there campers besides us?  It is really fun for everyone (kids & adults) to see how fast these beautiful birds come flocking to the feeder right outside our pop-up.

We went camping up by Leadville, CO (elevation 9,860 ft) a few weeks ago and we had about fifteen hummingbirds buzzing around all day long throughout the week.  I was able to get a broadtail hummingbird to land on my finger while eating out of the feeder.

[CajunCamper]

We haven't done that, but it sounds like fun. Thanks for the idea. In Louisiana we toss a dead chicken out behind the pop up and watch the gators come out of the swamp and get the chicken. Don't want one of those resting on your finger. Just kidding.

CajunCamper

[sacrawf]

Earlier this year I was initially disapointed to get one of the last 2 campsites left at the Fox Ridge State Park near Oakland, IL.  Unlike what I had thought would be more desirable secluded sites to the back of the campground, this site directly across from the camp host was a real treat.  The camp host had attracted with his many feeders more eastern bluebirds and goldfinches than I have ever seen at one site, joined with the occasional white-breasted nuthatch.  They birds put on a constant awesome musical and aerial display right in view from under our awning for our whole stay.  

We don't bring the birdfeeders, but always have a small hanging planter of blooming seasonal flowers at the entrance to our campsite, which sometimes attracts the hummingbirds and butterflies.  I keep a logbook in the camper of the birds we see while camping.


 

Does anyone keep a hummingbird feeder (or any other birdfeeder) in there campers besides us?  It is really fun for everyone (kids & adults) to see how fast these beautiful birds come flocking to the feeder right outside our pop-up.

We went camping up by Leadville, CO (elevation 9,860 ft) a few weeks ago and we had about fifteen hummingbirds buzzing around all day long throughout the week.  I was able to get a broadtail hummingbird to land on my finger while eating out of the feeder.

[wavery]

We bring a bird feeder on every campout :sombraro:

[harleywolf]

We have both a Hummingbird feeder and a seed feeder in our backyard and love to watch the birds, and we get plenty. The seed feeder usually needs daily filling and the HB feeder only lasts about 3-4 days.

Being new to RV camping we have thought it would be easy and cool to bring a HB feeder at least, think we will from now on.

Incidentally what do you put in your HB feeder? Long ago we used the bagged red stuff that you mix with water, then one day I noticed the food in the feeder was clear (the feeder is a mother daughter thing with our 5 year old) and when I asked the DW about it she said she read that the colored food can rot out the beaks of the bird. She uses plain sugar water. I asked my mother about hers and she boils the sugar water first. Maybe this has been common knowledge for awhile and something I was just ignorant about but thought I

[BirdMan]

Rick, good question about hummingbird food.  A mixture of four parts water with one part plain white sugar works well.  Red food coloring is not needed and is actually bad for the birds, as it is for humans.  Boil the water, add the sugar, dissolve, and turn off the heat.  Let it cool for about 30 minutes before filling your feeder.  No other sugar (honey, raw, maple syrup, ...) works as well as regular white sugar.

Another note on hummingbird food is to only put enough nectar in the feeder to last 2-3 days.  This stuff is sugar water and will ferment pretty quickly.  When I am camping I make 1 cup at a time since I don't have that much refrigerator storage to store any extra nectar.

At home I make four cups at a time and fill the feeders with a smaller amount, still only enough to last 2-3 days.  I keep the remaining in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.  

Make sure you get a good quality hummingbird feeder so it will last and not leak.

[bountyhunter]

We had one come into our popup when we were camping near Monarch, CO this spring. Hovered over the bunk end and then was gone jsut as fast as he came in.

[mountainrev]

When we were camping near Leadville last month, the hummers were dive-bombing the red clips that hold our gizmos on to the bunk ends.  I wished we had brought one of our feeders from home!

[AustinBoston]

We stopped feeding the birds at home because our cat stopped eating her regular food.  :yikes:

Not really - the reason we stopped is because the birds were being attracted to a hawk ambush.  They would hide for a while, but not seeing the hawk, would go back to the feeder...and become hawk dinner.  They were better off not being fed.  

I doubt any hawk would be fast enough to take a hummer, though.

It's been a couple years, so maybe the hawk has moved on.

Austin

[wavery]

Rick, good question about hummingbird food.  A mixture of four parts water with one part plain white sugar works well.  Red food coloring is not needed and is actually bad for the birds, as it is for humans.  Boil the water, add the sugar, dissolve, and turn off the heat.  Let it cool for about 30 minutes before filling your feeder.  No other sugar (honey, raw, maple syrup, ...) works as well as regular white sugar.

Another note on hummingbird food is to only put enough nectar in the feeder to last 2-3 days.  This stuff is sugar water and will ferment pretty quickly.  When I am camping I make 1 cup at a time since I don't have that much refrigerator storage to store any extra nectar.

At home I make four cups at a time and fill the feeders with a smaller amount, still only enough to last 2-3 days.  I keep the remaining in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.  

Make sure you get a good quality hummingbird feeder so it will last and not leak.

I'm just curious why you think white sugar works better than honey :confused: .

I have a 9-year-old Rainbow Lorikeet. He's also a nectar eater (like the Humming Birds). He wouldn't even touch sugar water but he LOVES honey. I'm just wondering why there would be a difference.

[AustinBoston]

I'm just curious why you think white sugar works better than honey :confused: .

I have a 9-year-old Rainbow Lorikeet. He's also a nectar eater (like the Humming Birds). He wouldn't even touch sugar water but he LOVES honey. I'm just wondering why there would be a difference.

I'm not an expert, but I believe (based on his mixing it with water) that honey (once mixed with water) will spoil quickly.  Most honey is not cooked, so contains all the bacteria and mold spores that it had in the hive.  Add water, and you have, um, culture.

Austin

[wavery]

I'm not an expert, but I believe (based on his mixing it with water) that honey (once mixed with water) will spoil quickly.  Most honey is not cooked, so contains all the bacteria and mold spores that it had in the hive.  Add water, and you have, um, culture.

Austin

That's for sure. 12-hours on a warm day and the honey water would go bad.

I am just wondering if the Hummingbirds prefer the sugar water over honey. I would think that it would be the other way around but that's just because of my experience with "Doofus" (and we don't call him that for nothing  :p ).

[AustinBoston]

That's for sure. 12-hours on a warm day and the honey water would go bad.

I am just wondering if the Hummingbirds prefer the sugar water over honey. I would think that it would be the other way around but that's just because of my experience with "Doofus" (and we don't call him that for nothing  :p ).

That would be my expectation as well - honey is essentially what they eat in nature (except processed by bees) - where sugar water is essentially an artificial creation.

Austin

[BirdMan]

The preference of Hummingbirds is using regular sugar.  There have been many experiments over the years using everything you could imagine for a sweetener.  Sucrose (table sugar-cane or beet), glucose, maltose, fructose, and many more.

Here is a decent website page/article that talks in layman terms regarding Hummingbird Feeding, http://www.hummingbirds.net/hainsworth.html, for those interested.

You are correct about honey spoiling very quickly when mixed with water.  I have tried many experiments with 5-6 feeders out at the same time using different sweeteners in each and they always go for the regular table sugar.

[wavery]

The preference of Hummingbirds is using regular sugar.  There have been many experiments over the years using everything you could imagine for a sweetener.  Sucrose (table sugar-cane or beet), glucose, maltose, fructose, and many more.

Here is a decent website page/article that talks in layman terms regarding Hummingbird Feeding, http://www.hummingbirds.net/hainsworth.html, for those interested.

You are correct about honey spoiling very quickly when mixed with water.  I have tried many experiments with 5-6 feeders out at the same time using different sweeteners in each and they always go for the regular table sugar.

Thanks for the tip........however...Doofus will have none of it... I just tried (just for the heck of it). He picked up the bowl and dumped it upside down. :p > guess he's not exactly a Hummingbird either :sombraro: .

I should have left him alone... now he's squawking his head off. :yikes: