My MIL's DH saw one yesterday at my feeders, but I haven't stood there long enough to see one yet. Some thoughts: While some like to boil, I don't, and my hummers don't seem to care. I make a 2 qt pitcher at a time, and use 2C sugar, 2C hot tap water (stir well), then add another 6C of cold water, and can use immediately. The rest is refrigerated. I fill 4 feeders, and recently saw an open "plate" design feeder video online that was simply amazing. Someone on one of these boards posted it. Might be in the New England board. I'm considering making one. Apparently they'll all play nice if they're forced to eat from the same big bowl.

Had a sighting here yesterday evening. I was putting up my yard tools when I heard a strange "brummm". I turned around just in time to see it flit off from my Firebush (Hamelia patens) that I had purchased last Saturday at the Wings and Wildflowers festival and had planted Wednesday morning. Unfortunately I didn't get time to truly appreciate the bird, it was gone within a second heading west through the oaks, but it was definitely a hummingbird. It has me pretty psyched though. I had read that it can take years for a hummingbird to find your plants, but here I had one visiting my bush a week after purchase. Definitely thinking about getting another Firebush and putting it on the east side of my house to entice more of them! On a similar note: Last Saturday evening while walking around and inspecting my plants, I saw a Hummingbird Moth around my white Pentas. I got excited for a moment thinking it might be a hummingbird, but it lacked the 'hum' and then I noticed the antennae. Still, it was pretty cool. (Note: Not my picture, but one found on the web.)

The red dye really is harmful to hummers. We have a natural spring plumbed into the house for our water source. I bring the spring water to a boil, then add pure cane sugar at a 1:1 ratio. This ratio allows the female hummers more time and energy with nest building and hunting for insects to feed their young. At a 1:1 ratio, they only have to fill up on sugar water about 5 times an hour. At a 4:1 ratio, they will have to fill up about 14 times an hour, giving them less time for finding insects for protein.

voodoobrew, I've tried liquidy bad fruit a few more times for my butterfly population on perfect weather days, and still just ants for me, too, while the butterflies went about their time at the flowers oblivious to my offering. I should keep trying, though, especially now that the hummingbirds are here too and might be interested.