Hummingbird attractor

I may have discovered a new item to use as a hummingbird attractant unknowingly while playing outside with my dog recently. The market is untapped though demand may be low considering the item and how readily it is available. Look!

OK, yeah...never mind. As I was throwing this tennis ball across the yard, I saw something zip right towards it. This unidentified flying object was instantly believed to be a dragonfly, but it became readily apparent after a couple of seconds that it was a hummingbird following the flight of the ball, and then bouncing along with it before it came to a rest. The bird literally moved up and down before it stopped, inspected the then stationary ball, and seemingly decided that this lovely looking and fast flying flower would not actually taste as good as it looked, moving off before my dog arrived to snatch it up.

I have to guess that had I been using a green tennis ball this would have never occurred. The bright pink and orange much look very tasty to a migrant Ruby-throated Hummingbird. I suppose we will have to stick to more bland colors in the future so that we do not cause any further distractions.


Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation Technician