Rose Cottage Ltd

At the end of last season I decided it was time to retire two rather inexpensive, plastic hummingbird feeders I had on the property and early Fall 2011 I bought a new one. It had a nice glass container and a nice style, but I quickly found out this year that I made a bad choice. Here’s why…

#1. The new container was too large.

In the high heat of summer, hummingbird food needs to be changed at least every 2 days. With its high sugar content, the nectar gets hot and nasty very quickly. Only half-filling the container might be the most obvious solution, but then depending on the design, the “juice” level in a large container may still be low and Hummingbirds are less likely to see the nectar in the feeder as they speed around your property.

#2. An overly “designed” feeder.

The new feeder I bought last Fall also had this pretty metal scroll design that wrapped around the outside of the glass container. It looks great, but it also blocks the view for Hummingbirds. They are looking for that bright red nectar color and obscuring the glass container with anything makes it less visible.

This still doesn’t mean we’re stuck with cheap, plastic containers. Here are a few better choices for Summer 2012. It’s not too late either. Dependent on overall weather and your location, Hummingbirds can still be stopping by for a cold drink as late as early October. Each feeder shown here priced right around $30. A good investment for your tiny, thirsty, summer visitors!

This Violet Meadow Hummingbird Feeder hand painted glass nectar container has a powder coated base cover with four bee resistant flower feeding stations.

The tall glass column has a hand-painted violet with stem and leaves on each of the three sides. Four bee resistant metal feeding flowers adorn the base, and their green and burgundy colors perfectly complement the violet on the column.

The 8 ounce capacity ensures that the nectar is always fresh. For easy filling, just twist the column off the base and fill completely with nectar.

This is the perfect sized container for nectar and the birds are used to seeing their “food” with plants and flowers so this hand-painted design will not deter them. These glass feeders will last for many seasons…

The Floral Hummingbird Lantern is made from imported French bottles; these jewels create a sleek, contemporary look. Especially nice when displayed together near a window. The base and top are made of recycled redwood. The Floral appliqué on clear glass is kiln-fired and includes gold leaf in the design!

Holds One Pint of Nectar.

This inverted bottle will mean the nectar will be easily seen by your local Hummingbird flight team and again, the painted flowers are a nice design, but not a distraction.

This Ultimate Hummingbird Feeder is close to being too large but has a completely clear view for Hummers which should mean a less-than-full fill will not be a problem.

The all glass feeding bottle has six “flower” feeding stations. Standard vacuum design- but guaranteed not to drip in direct sunlight. 30-ounce capacity. Hardened glass feeding bottle. Shatter-proof, NO-DRIP feeding base. 6 Flower Feeding Stations

Made in the USA.
Feed Capacity: 30 Ounce
Dimensions: 10.5″ High x 2.5″

I saw the first Hummingbird (Piedmont North Carolina), Wednesday this past week. I put out one of the feeders I had from last season but it might be time to add a couple new feeders. These are relatively inexpensive ways to support the birds that visit your area. Hummingbirds have traveled a long, long trip to return to the US for their “summer vacation.” Make sure you have something ready for them to drink so they will stay with you all summer.

It is important to keep the “juice” fresh and the feeder clean. Sticky, syrupy liquid that is the Hummingbird’s favorite drink can go rancid fairly quick in hot summer months. I put out several feeders and then fill and clean on a rotating basis so the little “Hummers” can be assured of having something cool, and safe to drink.

Here are several stylish options from The Bird Shed. They have hundreds of products for backyard birding from feeders to houses to food.

And other images from Rose Cottage Ltd now available via Fine Art America!

Select an image, pick a card or print option, customize your framing and that’s it! Couldn’t be easier to arrange a custom card or gift.

Ships in 2-3 days with a 30-day money back guarantee!

Not sure if this is what they are discussing. Maybe the topic is the fact that I had just refilled their feeder with cold juice on a 99-degree day?