Posted by Dianne Grossman on March 18, 2006

Q: I live in Olympia, WA. When should I put out humming bird feeders?

Habitat: forest/open woods

State: Washington

Habitat: forest/open woods

A: You have two species of hummers that breed in your area - Anna's and Rufous Hummingbirds. Determining when to put your feeders out is a bit tricky since the sugar water does "go bad" after about a week to 10 days so you don't want to have the feeder out too soon. I think the easiest way to determine timing is to call a local bird club and see if someone there can give you approximate dates for hummingbird arrivals.

I usually keep a watch for hummers in my yard (I live in central New York State) once we're well into spring. As soon as I see one or hear that someone else has seen one in my area, I put my feeder out. I'm convinced that the same bird has returned in some years as often one will come to the exact location I've had my feeder located in a previous summer before I even have it up and ready.

I find that in the warmer weather, my sugar water gets moldy after about a week and is no longer acceptable to the birds so I only put a small amount in the feeder. This means I have to replace more often but the birds are not put off by poor quality food. Incidently, hummingbirds feed on insects and spiders too so they aren't living exclusively on nectar/sugar water. Best of luck to you with your birds this summer. Thanks for asking.

John Wiessinger ( March 19, 2006)