Hummingbirds Have Arrived Early in Northern Colorado

Once I turned 40, lots of things changed for me. I was entering a metamorphosis called perimenopause. My oldest child moved away to college, I began ordering off the kids’ menu because portions have just gotten out of control, and maybe the most significant change in my life has been birdwatching. Yes, watching birds has brought me so much joy, it’s practically all I want to do at this stage of my life. I was even gifted a birdhouse camera that alerts me when a bird comes to the feeder—and it tells me what kind of bird it is. Holy technology.

But for as much bird watching as my old eyes do, I can honestly say I’ve only seen a hummingbird twice in my entire life. Crazy, right? The first time I saw a hummingbird was in Steamboat, and you would’ve thought I’d seen Elvis himself. I was ecstatic. The second time I was graced with a hummingbird sighting was a few months later at the Mishawaka up the Poudre Canyon. The Mish has multiple feeding stations on their beautiful patio, and multiple feeding stations for the little angels means possible multiple sightings. Heaven on Earth.

How to attract hummingbirds

• Be sure to plant bright flowers! Hummingbirds love red and orange flowers like Trumpet Vines.
• Set up your own feeders with a 1:3 ration of sugar and water. Hummingbirds love sugar water!
• Provide a mister water feature since hummingbirds love mist.

So ignore the haters who call you old for getting such immense joy from watching birds, and get excited—because the hummingbirds came to Northern Colorado early this year. And honestly, with birds, you don’t even really need friends.