It’s time to break out the hummingbird feeders again, and prepare to welcome back those delightful, staggering feathered bees that dart impossibly about our gardens. I’d like to offer a couple bits of advice that will hopefully better arm you to lure them in, and enjoy them for the next several months. They are usually still on their migration north right now, but evidence shows they are ahead of schedule this year, and being ready to greet them greatly improves your chances of drawing them to your homes for the season. The males arrive first, and act as scouts. They will build nests close to food sources, so get your feeders out, plant red flowers. Start making your nectar. Not sure how to do that?, well here’s the simple recipe: Dissolve 1 cup of plain white sugar in 4 cups of water. Personally; I recommend boiling the water, this makes dissolving easier. Let it cool before filling feeders, and any spare can be refrigerated, and remains useful for at least a week. That’s it, talk about simple syrup. Please do NOT use the red stuff they sell in the stores, or that often come with feeders. This stuff is regularly actually harmful to the birds, and, from a practical standpoint; far more expensive than the simple syrup that all authorities (Audubon, etc) recommend. It is true the birds are attracted to red, but there is literally zero need to color the liquid. For more detailed information, I recommend visiting the Cornell Lab at https://www.allaboutbirds.org/feeding-hummingbirds/ Cheer Brett Sent from my iPad