With a milder winter this year, preparing for spring might be on the agenda as the ruby-throated hummingbirds start their migration patterns across Michigan in April.
East of the Great Plains, there is only one hummingbird, the ruby-throat, taking the journey across Michigan, usually trickling in late April and actively in May
While local flowering plants are the best source of nectar for hummingbirds, supplementing a food source with a sugar-water feeder can give them an additional energetic boost during nesting season and migration.
To help accommodate the hummingbirds across Michigan, Audubon offers a sugar water recipe to consider when setting up bird feeders as a 'fast-food' option for the speedy hummers.
A solution of four parts water to one part table sugar, according to the report, with an added note to not using red dye.
To keep the sugar water solution fresh, the report recommends making small quantities of water every day or two, adding the water and sugar solution to a boil, and letting the water cool down before filling the feeder.