Hummingbird Care
By Maureen Miller

With the warmer weather approaching, hummingbirds will become more active. Here are a few interesting facts that help make these little creatures so fun to watch. You can read more at www.portalproductions.com.

Hummingbirds can fly right, left, up, down, backwards, even upside down. While other birds get their flight power from the down-stroke only, hummingbirds have strength on the up-stroke as well.
Most hummingbirds flap their wings about 50 or so times per second. This means all we can see is a blur. The Magnificent Hummingbird is an exception; sometimes it flaps its wings slowly enough for individual wing beats to be perceived.
The tiny feet of hummingbirds are almost useless except for perching; if hummers want to travel two inches, they must fly. Hummingbirds lift from perches without pushing off; they rise entirely on their wing power, flapping at almost full speed before lifting off. Though they fly very fast, they can suddenly stop and make a soft landing. They are so light they do not build up much momentum.

Now is the time to buy a new feeder or make sure your existing one is full. It is important that feeders be cleaned 1-2 times per week. Please do not add food coloring or buy hummingbird nectar. The added food color can be harmful to these tiny creatures. Besides, you could be spending 3 times what you need, because all you need for an effective solution is plain sugar and water.

To make the solution simply mix 1 part sugar with 4 parts boiling water…that’s it. Refrigerate any extra and use as needed.

To your health, relaxation and enjoyment….

Maureen Miller is a 30-year resident of Hemet who practices “bird rescue”. She regularly takes into her home injured birds, nurses them back to health and releases them back into the wild. She has been named “Birdwoman of the Valley” by the Hemet News. She can be reached at (951) 652-0055.