Materials Needed:

• Clear plastic container
• Sugar
• Water
• Beet juice
• String
• Tree branch

Activity:
Hummingbirds are the smallest of all birds -- 3 1/2 inches long. They can fly up to fifty miles per hour, they can fly backwards, or hover in mid-air. Their wings beat so quickly, you can't see them move. Hummingbirds hover rather than land when they feed, so their feeders are unlike other bird feeders.

• To start the project you need a small clear plastic container (we recommend a small margarine tub). You can make the tub a bit more fancy, and a little easier for the hummingbirds to use by cutting three even scallops in the top edge of the tub. This allows the hummingbirds to hover in the "valleys" and get closer to the food.
• Cut your string into three even pieces. Punch holes in the center of the top part of the scallops and put one end of the string into the hole and tie a knot to secure it. Do this with all three pieces of string into each of the three holes.
• Gather the other end of the strings together and tie them together into a knot.
• Dissolve one part sugar to three parts hot water. Add some beet juice because hummingbirds are attracted to the red coloring.
• Fill the container half full with the mixture.
• Using the string, hang the feeder from a tree branch. This will help to keep ants from getting into the food.