Wisdom from the WOODS-Hummingbirds

Mar 23, 2015

Mother Nature has finally given some indication that the weather patterns are returning to their normal routines and spring is here.  My memory is still good but I have vague recollections of hunting Easter Eggs in the snow one year when I was a little kid.

I had a couple of ideas about what to write about but an old Missouri Conservation magazine changed those thoughts to something more urgent.  People have been asking me when to put out hummingbird feeders. My wife is anxiously waiting another week and then the first feeder will go out with a small amount of food for the “scouts” that will appear ahead of the migration of hummers that surely will come sometime early next month.

My wife fixes her food mixture with four cups of water and one cup of sugar.  That has been the recommended mixture since she started putting out food many years ago.

I have had people tell me that they have only had one or two birds show up at their feeder and when I ask “How many feeders do you have?” the answer is one or two.  Our experience is that the number of bird is relative to number of feeders you have.  Last year at one time late in the afternoon we had what could have been hundreds of birds at the feeders.  Most of our feeders have six stations and every one of them at one time had a bird at each station with a bunch of others hovering around waiting for an opening.

There is almost always a bully that tries to run everyone else away from the feed but with a dozen or more feeders out, there is plenty to go around.

There are lots of fishing tournaments set for the Lake Wappapello Bass Circuit and Angler’s Choice Wappapello Bass Quest Division.

The first tournament is set for March 28th by the Wappapello Bass Circuit which will start at 6am and weigh in at 3pm from the Redman Creek launch site.

Angler’s Choice will have their first event April 12 also at Redman Creek with a 6 am start and 3pm weigh in.

There will be other clubs that have events but not as many as the circuits.  When that information is available, I will pass it on to my readers.

Enjoy the nice weather!