Hummingbirds, How Did I Miss You?

I never noticed birds before, they were always something that boring people noticed. Or so I thought...I was wrong. On my journey to simplify and slow down one of the first steps was to sit quiet, notice and enjoy the simple things in life. The easiest way for me to sit quiet and do nothing was in nature. Yes I said do nothing. It's so peaceful and you will start to notice amazing things all around you. This is when I began to notice hummingbirds. The distinct buzz of their wings flapping and clicking noises to communicate, it was fascinating. An entire world started to unfold before me and I was intrigued enough to pull out my camera (after I did nothing of course) and get a better appreciation for these birds.  

If you are interested in attracting hummingbirds to your yard I recommend getting a feeder. I have an inexpensive, simple plastic feeder, they love it. You can even make hummingbird food at home, it's cost effective and better for the birds.

Homemade Hummingbird Food

4 cups of water

1 cup of sugar

Put the sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium heat. Boil for two minutes and remove from heat, set aside to cool. When mixture is cool, add it to your hummingbird feeder. Put remaining food in a covered container and store in the refrigerator. I like to use glass jars or bottles I've saved and cleaned.  

Tips

• Do not add food coloring to the mix, some say it's harmful to the birds.  
• Be sure to check the feeder and change the mixture often (every 2-5 days depending on outside temperature) to avoid harmful bacteria growing in the feeder.