Maine Garden Ideas
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Ruby Throated Hummingbirds

Picture
The Ruby Throated Hummingbird is the only hummingbird in Maine. They can be observed feeding at dawn and dusk and zooming through the garden throughout the day. While they aren't fussy over the type of feeder you provide, you may prefer some types over others. As a rule, you should look for a feeder that is easy to fill and clean and that your hummingbirds will empty within a few days. 

Do Ruby Throated Hummingbirds stay in Maine all year?

Ruby Throated hummingbirds are only in Maine during the summer. They migrate to spend their winters in tropical area in Mexico and Central America. Ruby Throated Hummings arrive in Maine in late April or early May where they spend the summer and raise one or two clutches of babies. They begin their southern migration in early September.

In my location in north central Maine, they arrive during the first week of May and leave the first week of September.

What do Ruby Throated Hummingbirds eat?

Ruby Throated Hummingbirds feed primarily on nectar from native flowers, but they also eat small insects. If you provide a feeder with hummingbird food, they will happily drink from it off anf on all day. They are most active at feeders in the early morning and late afternoon. They are often the first birds sighted in the morning and the last to 'go to bed' at night.

Does red food coloring hurt hummingbirds?

Whether or not red food coloring in hummingbird food harms hummingbirds is a hot topic of debate. While some claim it does, the US Fish and Wildlife Services and the FDA both say there is no scientic research that shows red food coloring is harmful to hummingbirds.

Many choose to err on the side of caution and omit the red food coloring from the food in their hummingbird feeders.

How do you attract hummingbirds to your yard?

Hummingbirds are attracted to tubular shaped flowers, but often visit other flowers too. The best way to attract them to your yard is to grow annuals and prennials that are known to attract them. Hanging feeders and keeping them filled with nectar also helps to attract hummingbirds to you yard.

Annuals for Hummingbird Gardens
Perennials for Hummingbird Gardens
DIY Hummingbird Feeders​
​


Copyright © 2014 Nannette Richford



  • Home
  • Garden Thyme Blog
  • Themes
    • Butterfly Gardens
    • Moon Gardens
    • Sensory Gardens
    • All About Fairies
  • Flowers
    • Annual Flowers >
      • Alyssum
      • Cosmos
      • Geraniums
      • Marigolds
      • Morning Glories
      • Nasturtiums
      • Petunias >
        • Reviving Petunias
      • Snapdragons
      • Sunflowers
      • Sweet Peas
      • Zinnias
    • Perennial Flowers >
      • Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Hortensia’)
      • Lupines
      • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea)
    • Maine Wildflowers
  • Veggies
    • Warm Season Vegetables >
      • About Beans >
        • Growing Beans
        • Growing Pole Beans
        • How to Make a Teepee Trellis
      • About Corn >
        • Growing Corn
        • What is Baby Corn, anyway?
        • Can you grow corn in containers?
      • Cucumbers >
        • Grow a cucumber in a bottle
        • Growing Pickling Cucumbers
        • Growing cucamelons (Mexican Gherkin)
        • Why do cucumbers blossom but fail to set fruit?
        • Trellising Cucumbers
        • Making Cucumber Relish
        • Powdery Mildew on Cucumbers
      • Melons
      • Peppers >
        • Growing Peppers
      • Squash >
        • Growing Zucchini
        • Spaghetti Squash
      • Tomatoes >
        • How to Harden Off Tomato Plants
        • How (and when) to Prune Tomatoes
        • Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) for Tomatoes
        • Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes
        • Growing Cherry Tomatoes in Hanging Baskets
        • 4 Best Tomatoes for Short Seasons - Early Tomatoes
        • 5 Early Maturing Tomatoes for Short Season Gardening
        • How to Ripen Green Tomatoes
        • How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes at Home
        • How to Grow a Pomato Plant
    • Cool Season Vegetables >
      • Cole Crops
      • Greens >
        • How to Grow Spinach
        • How to Grow Malabar Spinach
        • How to Grow Swiss Chard
        • Harvesting and Cooking Beet Greens
        • How to Grow Microgreens
      • Onions & Garlic >
        • How to Grow Garlic
        • How to Grow Onions
      • Peas >
        • Growing Garden (shelling) Peas
        • Growing Sugar Snap Peas
      • Potatoes >
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Containers
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Hay Bales
      • Root Crops >
        • Growing Beets
        • How to Grow Carrots
        • Turnips vs Rutabagas
  • Herbs
    • Growing Basil
    • Growing Chives
    • Growing Lavender
    • Herbal Tea Garden
    • How to Grow a Culinary Herb Garden
    • How to Grow Herbs in Sponges
    • Colonial Herb Garden - Classroom Project
    • Herbed Butter
    • Making Herbed Oils
  • Gardening Basics
    • Seed Starting Basics
    • Grafting Basics
    • Soil >
      • Starting a New Garden
      • How to Prepare Soil
      • How to Test Soil Drainage
      • What Type of Soil Do You Have
      • Soil Mix Recipe for Containers
      • How to Make Compost Tea
      • How to Use Mulch
  • Garden Pests
    • How to Control Japanese Beetles
    • How to Control Blister Beetles
    • How to Get Rid of Colorado Potato Beetles
  • Birds
    • Hummingbirds >
      • DIY Hummingbird Feeders from Recycled Bottles
      • Annuals for Hummingbird Gardens
      • Perennials for Hummingbird Gardens
    • About Birdseed
    • Choosing a Birdfeeder
  • Fiddleheads and Fairies
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • How to Marinate Roasted Vegetables