Okay... here goes...
Almost every hummingbird feeder on the market has either yellow or white imitation flowers on it. We are led to believe that these flowers attract the hummers and are a necessary part of any good hummingbird feeder, but is that really the case? They certainly are pretty, that's a fact. But do they really make a difference to the hummers? Think about this...
Hummingbirds will drink nectar out of a test tube with only a curved piece of glass protruding out of a stopper in the top (bottom) of a nectar-filled tube. They will also drink nectar out of a Solo cup with a hole cut in the side of it so the hummer can stick his bill inside the cup to get at the nectar. Neither of these look anything like a flower. Go figure. And then there is this to consider...
Bees and wasps are not attracted to red colored objects. They are not actually color-blind but they do have a problem with any color approaching the infrared portion of the color spectrum. People who are allergic to bee and wasp stings know this and often wear red when working in the yard. Bees and wasps simply do not see red as a color. Hummingbirds definitely are attracted to red, but not bees and wasps. Any other bright color that is shaped like a flower bloom invites investigation by these insects but red does not attract them. Any hummingbird feeder with colorful yellow or white flowers on it will attract bees and wasps much quicker than will a feeder without these colorful flowers. Think about it. Now, feeders with a green base and red flowers is something that I am not sure about but I do know this. Most of the feeders of this type have white perches. Is this bad. Honestly, I do not know. But I do know that those feeders with the raised up realistic flowers are very difficult to clean and the ones that I used in the past were real bad about being a magnet for mold... and these realistic blooms are VERY difficult to clean.
The yellow "flowers" on these feeders are very pretty and people buy a lot of these because they are pretty. They sell and they make the manufacturers a LOT of money. Most of us think we are doing the right thing when we buy one of these pretty feeders and maybe it isn't so bad if we can control the bees, wasps, and mold. But I prefer to play it safe.
I like the Hummzinger feeders with the highview roost on them. New studies have shown this to be an improvement on the previous roosts that are basically level or just below the level of the nectar hole in the feeder. The raised perch allows the smaller hummers easier access to the nectar and a bonus is that we get a much better view of the hummingbird as it sits on the roost. In addition, these Hummzinger Highviews feeders (made by Aspect) allow the use of nectar guards. Be advised that not all of the Hummzinger feeders are compatible with the nectar guards. I know that the Aspect Hummzinger EXCEL does not accept the nectar guards. There may be others, but I do know that all of the newer "highview" feeders will accept the nectar guards.
http://www.aspectsinc.com/429_HighView.html
In summary, probably any hummingbird feeder on the market will work. The question is how particular are you about your feeder. Maybe I am too sensitive about this but I like to think that I am doing all that I can to provide my hummers with a good clean easily accessible nectar supply. After all, studies show that these hummers will return to the same location year after year and they will be depending on the person who is feeding them. We actually hold their life in our hands when we decide to feed them, and that is a serious responsibility whether we are aware of it or not. That's my two cents worth.
Now about hummingbird swings. Aren't they cute? Yes, they sure are. A nice place for our hummers to rest when they are not feeding. But, which hummer do you think will be using the swing the most? Yes, the dominant male of your yard will control the swing. He will drive the others off of the swing if it is anywhere close to "his" feeder just as he will attempt to keep them off of the feeder. This is an instinct born out of the necessity for hummers to establish a territory for their constant supply of nectar. This is a life-or-death situation in most cases and they do not realize that there is enough nectar in a well-maintained feeder for a whole flock of hummers. He is merely instinctively defending his territory.
Maybe this is not such a problem if a person has multiple hummingbird feeders spaced far apart from each other. The same thing would apply to the swings. Maybe multiple swings hung fairly distantly apart would be okay. Once again, just my two cents.
Now you should be prepared to feed some hummers. Get a feeder, fix some nectar, and enjoy the show!
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