Very nice! Dave

Very nice pictures. Ed will enjoy seeing your Anna's using the cupheas. Penny

Hi, Dotty. I got my first over-wintering Anna's hummingbird visitor last year, right about this time. This year, my winter visitor showed up in late September, right where I had my window feeder last winter. Good memory. There is a fascinating research paper that discusses your questions and many more about feeding hummingbirds. If I can find it (not so good memory), I'll post a link. The researchers found that the sugar concentrations of North American flower nectar range from about 50 percent sugar, or about 2 (water) to 1 (sugar), to 5 (water):1 (sugar). Most summer flowers were 3:1 or 4:1. Apparently, hummers drink only when they're hungry and stop when they're full, on a calorie (not volume) basis, so the higher the sugar concentration, the more attractive the nectar--and the less time a hummer will spend feeding at that high-energy source. In winter, I use a 3:1 solution until temperatures drop into the low-20s, when I shift the solution to 2:1. Increasing the sugar lowers the freezing point and gives the birds more calories with less effort. The downside is that you won't see them as long at your feeder. But even that works out well, because more hummers get access to the feeder, instead of just one bird guarding the area for half the day. On a separate note, I have found that the traditional hanging tube feeder drains quickly in the rain. Rain runs down the outside of the feeder, down the tube, and pulls the nectar out with it. I switched to a small window-mounted bowl-type feeder, which has a cover and a little overhanging rain shield, but rain that blows onto the bowl cover drains into the holes and dilutes the nectar after a day or two. I think feeders with little plastic flowers might not allow as much water to run into the bowl. In any case, enjoy your Anna's!

A beautiful Anna's Hummingbird in the backyard. More backyard bird photos here: www.aroundthebirdfeeder.net