Page 39 - AreaNewsletters "May 2022" issue

H O ME & G A R D E N
Hummingbirds of the Front Range
These jewels of the sky are headedto CastleRock!
By Kate Hogan,
Denver Audubon
Flying from Central and South America, hummingbirds travel Northward to nd ideal nesting locations along the Front Range and the Rocky Mountains. The Broad-tailed hummer is the rst to arrive, usually in early to mid-April, with the Black-chinned hummingbirdtrailingnottoofarbehind. Keepaneyeoutforthe iridescent male throat (also called the gorget!) featuring a deep red in the Broad-tailed or a vibrant purple in the Black-chinned.
These little gems are not only gorgeous to behold; they are also quite useful to have around. Hummingbirds dine on the tiniest of insects and arthropods (like spiders). You may see a hummingbird dive repeatedly through the middle of a swarm of midges, collecting a nutritious meal rich in fat and protein.
While we all know of their love for nectar, a hummingbird’s diet is anywhere from 30%-80% insects given the season as well as carbohydrate in the form of nectar from owers, tree sap, or feeders. A water feature with spray or bubbling motion can attract migrating hummers to your property, especially in July when Rufous and Calliope Hummingbirds breeze through Colorado on their way back down South after breeding in Canada and the Paci c Northwest.
Considering putting out an arti cial feeder? Remember we live in bear country – native plants andwild owersaretheBEST source of nutrition for hummingbirds, so
we at DenverAudubon highly encour-
age using Colorado native wild owers or shrubs in your landscaping that will bloom from early spring through late summer. Needsomeideas?Ourfree public demonstration gardens at the Audubon Nature Center at Chat eld State park (the parking lot just North of Waterton Canyon) provide lots of wonderful examples of how to plant with hummingbirds in mind.
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39 Castle Rock “AreaNewsletters” • May 2022
Homemade
Hummingbird Nectar
4 parts water
1 part white sugar
Do not use raw or organic sugar, it contains iron.
Bring water to a boil, remove from heat, add sugar and stir until dissolved.
Allow to cool.
Do not use red dye or store bought nectar. Be sure to clean feeder and replace nectar every 2-3 days.
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