Christmas Hummingbird

We usually get eight to a dozen hummingbirds that arrive in May and cluster around our feeders on the deck drinking sugar water. These little guys burn lots of energy just hovering in position, so sugar water is ok even if it’s just empty calories. My wife thinks the big ones are mean; trying to monopolize the drinking stations on booth feeders and driving the little ones away.
I thought they had all left on schedule in September, and took down all the feeders save one. In October, I noticed that one bird was still visiting that feeder, so I kept it filled and clean (sort of). The internet experts claim that hummers migrate when the season is right and that a feeding station will not keep them in the Northern Shenandoah when it’s time to leave. This little guy stayed through October and November. I have changed the sugar water ratio from 1-4 to 1-1, and bring the feeder indoors at night to prevent it from freezing solid. Temperatures have dropped into the teens at night and the daytime temperature has remained in the thirties on several days. Two days ago it snowed. The bird visited the feeder today (temperature was 33.4 degrees F at 10:30 am). I have no idea where he spends his evenings, but it is clear he intends to stay in the area year round. My Christmas Hummingbird eminds me of the swallow in Oscar Wilde’s “The Happy Prince” - I will try to help him to a happier outcome. May seems a long way off.