From The Green Corner: Welcome Back The Hummingbirds at Easter!

Welcome back the hummingbirds at Easter!
Have you considered that sitting and watching birds is being in sacred space?  Hummingbirds are just returning; they beat their wings up to 50 times per second, and their tiny hearts beat as high as 1,200 times per minute. To support that mega metabolism, they need to consume half their weight in nectar, insects and tree sap each day. The hummers winter in Mexico and Central America, returning north to breed in the US and Canada when our fresh flowers and feeders appear. Some of them fly across the Gulf of Mexico in a nonstop flight.

A hummingbird feeder is a lovely Easter gift for young and old. Feeders may be filled with a 4:1 water-to-sugar ratio but skip the red food coloring as the dye can be harmful. Instead, plant red flowers in patio pots and  hang multiple feeders around your yard to reduce fighting between males. Aim for spots more sheltered from the elements. Clean out feeders every few days or if the nectar becomes cloudy.

Make sure you have plants blooming throughout the summer so the birds always have something to feast on. Early bloomers are columbine, then stagger others like royal catchfly, cardinal flower, lobelia, salvia, and red buckeye. Although they are most attracted to red and orange blooms, hummingbirds also visit black and blue salvia, foxglove, beardtongue, and bee balm.

Hummingbirds don’t just sip nectar. They need insects for protein, too, especially after their jellybean size eggs hatch. native plants will attract more healthy bugs to your yard, but be sure to hold off on any chemicals that might make their way to the birds. To hide from hungry hawks, hummingbirds like trees and shrubs near their nectar spots. They also need fresh water so you can provide a very shallow pool or add a mister to your birdbath.

CREATION CARE TASK FORCE, DIOCESE OF VA.: https://www.thediocese.net/resources/ministries/creation-care/

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