A flash of brilliant magenta and green, accompanied by the sound of furiously beating tiny wings, was my first hummingbird encounter in my backyard. And then it was over before I could even register that it had happened! It left me wanting more. Since then, I have planted hummingbird-friendly flowers and provided other enticements to draw them to my yard.
It seems odd that these tiny birds with their brilliant plumage visit us in the summertime, but they do. Although the ruby-throated hummingbird is most commonly seen in Calgary gardens, calliope and rufous hummingbirds can also be seen in and around Calgary.
Hummingbirds breed and nest in many places in and around Calgary and the mountains. I have most often seen them in my garden during August, when raising young is over and both the parents and new-this-year birds are preparing to leave town before cold weather sets in.
So, how can you attract these colourful birds to your yard? Hummingbirds eat nectar from flowers, plus insects and spiders. While you can’t control the insect population, you can certainly plant flowers that will draw them in. They don’t like just any flowers, though. Those long, tiny beaks are adapted for tubular flowers. The first time I saw a hummingbird feeding in my garden, it was drawn to Verbena bonariensis, which surprised me because the flowers are so small. Once I took an interest in attracting hummingbirds, I planted more tubular flowers with colours of red, orange, pink, and fuchsia.
Hummingbird bee balm. Photo, Deborah Maier
Honeysuckle vine (Lonicera sempervirens) is almost guaranteed to draw in a hummer or two. I have grown hummingbird mint (Agastache aurantiaca ‘Navajo Sunset’) from seed, and it has been a big hit with the hummingbirds. They also really enjoy firecracker plant (Cuphea ignea) with its red and orange tubular flowers, and I have also seen them at the purple tubular flowers of hosta plants. They also like bee balm, columbine, salvias, bleeding hearts, and lupines. Plant the native versions of these plants, if possible, as hummingbirds are most likely to recognize the flowers.
You don’t need to plant a whole meadow of flowers; even a window box full of attractive flowers will help them out. I was once at a backcountry lodge high up in the mountains near Revelstoke, where window boxes planted with lobelia were getting a lot of attention from the hummingbirds. Also, be sure to plant flowers that bloom from early spring to the end of summer.
Also, consider adding some of the following features to your yard as an added inducement:
Hummingbirds need bare branches to rest on. Photo, Maura Hamill
Water
Hummingbirds use water for bathing rather than drinking, as they get their liquid from the nectar they drink. A regular bird bath is not useful to a hummingbird because a typical birdbath is just too deep. However, hummingbirds are attracted to misters, misting sprinklers, and drippers.
Perches
After a bath or feeding, hummingbirds like to perch on thin nearby branches. They like branches that have few leaves and provide a high, wide view. To provide good natural perches, don’t prune away all of the dead branches on your trees.
Insects for hummingbirds
Hummingbirds cannot survive on nectar alone; they also eat small flying insects like gnats and fruit flies. Do not use pesticides or insecticides, and allow your grass to grow a little longer to provide essential habitat for bugs. Also, leave spider webs as hummingbirds may glean insects from the web.
Hummingbird feeders will help attract the tiny birds to your yard. Photo, Maura Hamill
Hummingbird nectar feeders
Since our climate does not always provide flowers when hummingbirds need them most, put out fake red flowers or even a red tablecloth to act as a signal. Red is their favourite colour. Create nectar for your feeder by mixing one cup of sugar (white cane sugar is best) with four cups of water until the sugar dissolves. You do not need to boil the liquid, and do not add dye or other additives. Store any extra sugar water in your refrigerator. Clean the feeder every few days as the liquid can go bad, which is not good for the hummingbirds.
I hope that once you plant a few hummingbird-friendly flowers in your garden, and maybe add one or two other features, you will see these intriguing birds in your yard and enjoy their visits as much as I do.
Learn more about gardening in Calgary by visiting the Calgary Horticultural Society’s website at calhort.org.