Early this week I finally spotted hummingbird activity in my yard. Once at the feeder and another time at a planter with fuchsia flowers. Hummingbirds usually show up around the first of May in my yard, but this year they seem to be two weeks late.Birds need to drink a lot of water, too, on hot summer days. They pant when it is really hot.
At least this is what observed yesterday when it reached 106 degrees in Fort Wayne.
The biggest attraction in my yard was the birdbath. I sat outside for a half an hour and watched doves, orioles, blue birds, sparrows, finches, robins, a wren, a catbird, a blue jay and starlings visit the birdbath.
I have old birdbaths that are too shallow so I added the dishes that go under pots. Water now last longer but every few days I replace the water.
In this heat, a mosquito egg can become an adult within a week according to David Fiess, Allen County Director of Vector Control.
If you don't have a birdbath, improvise. My neighbor turned over a pot and put the dish that normally goes under the pot on top. I have seen birds visiting the dog dishes in my yard. It doesn't take much to make a big differences in their survival.
