Hummingbirds - in Quilts, in Counted Cross Stitch, and at the Feeder

Whirlwind Quilt Block

Hummingbird Quilt Block

Oh, hummingbirds,

how we've missed you!

It is so good to hear your buzz and

see you at the feeder again!

"The Broad-Tailed Hummingbird is the classic hummingbird of the Colorado high country, arriving in late April and early May, then departing the state by late September.  While all hummingbirds make a whirring sound with their wings, only the male broadtail produces that distinctive buzz-bomb whine.  Special tapered feathers at the tips of the wings create slots through which wind whistles when the bird flies, making that familiar trilling." from a wonderful book, The Guide to Colorado Birds by Mary Taylor Gray, photography by Herbert Clarke

Hummingbird Feeding Nectar

1 quart tap water (distilled water removes too many naturally-occurring minerals)
1 cup sugar
(Red food coloring should NOT be added.)

1.  Boil the sugar and water together to reduce the chance of bacteria and mold. 
2.  Allow to cool before pouring into the feeder.  Only fill your feeder with enough sugar water to last, at the most, two or three days. 

The mixture can be made ahead of time and stored for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Always discard any sugar solution in the feeder that has turned cloudy or contains black mold.

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here.