By Helen Newling Lawson Attracting hummingbirds ISTOCK.COM / SEN YANG GEORGIA Gardens Tips for enticing these tiny dynamos to visit your yard Fill a feeder A hummingbird feeder makes it easy to enjoy these birds' antics. But it is essential to replace the syrup in your feeder at least twice weekly and clean 'The Poet's Wife' ISTOCK.COM / CGLADE W ith a blur of fluttering wings, colorful hummingbirds let you know they have arrived in the garden. Luckily, if you enjoy the thrill of spotting a ruby-throat, Georgia's most common hummingbird, they are easy to attract. The way to their hearts is through their stomachs; those busy little bodies need lots of fuel. The numbers are astounding: A hummingbird needs to feed about every 10 minutes-or six meals per hour. Each day, they consume 50 percent of their body weight in nectar. With an appetite like that, they cannot afford to pass by a ready food source, but it is also important that you are prepared to keep up with their demands. Top: Hummingbirds build their nests by weaving together plant fibers, leaves and twigs, using spider silk to bind it all in place. The spider silk allows the nest to expand as the chicks grow. Above: This feeder mimics the trumpet-shaped flowers that are perfectly suited to hummingbirds' long beaks. www.georgiamagazine.org 27http://www.georgiamagazine.org