THE COASTAL GARDENER:Welcome hummingbirds

One of the great pleasures of a garden is the opportunity to observe nature. Not only plants, but birds, bugs, frogs, lizards, opossums and worms are all part of a garden. In nature, one depends upon the other. But in a garden it is the gardener who, with foresight, allows nature to enter.

Last week, we discussed attracting birds like sparrows, goldfinch, bluebirds, bushtits, wrens, warblers and phoebes. Of all the birds possible in a coastal Orange County garden, hummingbirds may be the most enjoyed.

As an avid birder I’ve been fortunate to have seen all seven of California’s breeding hummingbird species. I’ve also seen eight other species in Arizona, Texas or Florida. If you enjoy hummingbirds, Orange County is a good place to live. The gardens of London, Paris, Hong Kong, Sydney, Tokyo or Honolulu will never see a hummingbird visiting their flowers. Hummingbirds are strictly confined to North, Central and South America. There are no hummingbirds in Europe, Asia, Australia or the South Seas. Orange County is a good place to find hummingbirds.

A gardener in Orange County, whether intending or not, is a hummingbird gardener. Hummingbirds, including the common Anna’s, are present throughout the year and are easily attracted.

My favorite hummingbird is the Allen’s hummingbird. A pair recently decided to breed adjacent to the salvia display at Roger’s Gardens — smart hummingbirds. At a mere three inches, Allen’s hummingbirds are an unmistakable glowing cinnamon color and defend their territory quite aggressively when other hummingbirds are in the area but are quite passive to people. I often watch our resident Allen’s hummingbirds moving from flower to flower, so close I can almost touch them.

Hummingbirds get the energy they need to maintain their astonishing metabolism primarily from flower nectar and the sugar water they find at feeders. For protein, they also eat soft-bodied insects and spiders. Hummingbirds actually need nectar not really as “food,” but to power the bug-eating machine that they are. Think of them as miniature flycatchers. Sugar is just the fuel for getting their real nourishment.

Hummingbird feeders are the simplest way to draw hummingbirds to a garden. If your birds prefer one style over another, it’s probably a simple matter of familiarity. If you change feeders, they may not feed immediately from the new one, but they will adapt.

Where should you hang a feeder? It may be found quicker if hung near a garden of hummingbird plants. Once they have discovered your feeder, you can gradually relocate it closer to windows, where you can watch and enjoy them. To prevent the birds from striking the glass and injuring themselves, the nearby window should have a drawn curtain or blind behind it.

A blend of four parts water and one part sugar is used to fill hummingbird feeders. It is not necessary to buy a commercial nectar mix that includes additional “vitamins.” The birds get all they need from the flower nectar (which is nearly devoid of “vitamins”) and insects they consume. All they want from us is the quick energy they get from ordinary white cane sugar. It’s just fuel for chasing bugs and causes no health problems for the birds.

Natural nectars may contain sucrose, glucose or fructose. There is no advantage in using, say, fructose instead of sucrose (cane or beet sugar) in a feeder. Sucrose is by far the most common sugar in the flowers of plants which hummingbirds visit.

So-called raw sugar (a.k.a. turbinado) is refined by the same process as white sugar, but without removing all of the molasses and nonsugar components. The result is a less-pure sucrose that contains about five times as much iron as white sugar. Since iron is rare in hummingbird diets, an excess of iron can poison them. Use only white sugar in hummingbird feeders. It’s not necessary to boil the water, although this helps the sugar dissolve more quickly. Store unused syrup in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Do not put honey, Jell-O, brown sugar, soda or juice in your feeder!

Hanging a hummingbird feeder means assuming a certain amount of responsibility. If you are not prepared to follow a strict maintenance routine, you should consider planting a hummingbird garden instead. Every filling, flush the feeder with hot tap water. Do not use soap. Inspect the entire feeder for black mold; a bleach soak is the best way to remove mold. Discard any unconsumed sugar water. If the sugar solution in your feeder turns cloudy, it’s spoiled and needs to be replaced. When the temperature is over 80 degrees, clean and refill every three or four days; every two days if it’s over 90.

Of course, hummingbirds can also be enjoyed by planting a hummingbird garden. Landscaping with plants that attract hummingbirds avoids the need for a feeder or the messy nectar responsibilities. Hummingbirds are attracted to bright red or orange, tubular flowers. While the tubular shape complements their bills, they also feed on other types of flowers. Hummingbirds have very fast metabolisms, and accordingly, feed continually during daylight hours. In winter, or during cold weather, they can lower their metabolisms and enter a temporary state of dormancy.

One of the great pleasures of a garden is to allow nature in. I cannot imagine a garden without sparrows, goldfinch, bluebirds, wrens, warblers and phoebes — and especially hummingbirds.

ASK RON

I was a Master Gardener in Georgia. I’ve lived here for almost 10 years now. How do I find out about becoming a Master Gardener in Orange County?

LAURA

Newport Coast

The University of California Master Gardener program is very active in Orange County. The program is well organized and our local Master Gardeners are respected and well-trained resources to the community. Information about becoming a Master Gardener can be found at www.uccemg.com or by calling (714) 708-1646. Classes begin in the fall.