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    Shelburne Farms Hummingbird Guide

    Shelburne, Chittenden CountyWorking Farm & Historic GardenAdmission: Paid

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    NectarBloom 2 lb bag — pure cane sugar hummingbird nectar

    NectarBloom™ — 2 lb Bag

    Fresh nectar in a minute.

    No boiling, no dye. The same sugar hummingbird flowers make. One ingredient, nothing else. Makes up to 160 oz of fresh feeder nectar per bag.

    • Fresh nectar in a minute: measure, stir until clear, and pour
    • No boiling, no dye
    • The same sugar hummingbird flowers make
    • One ingredient, nothing else: 100% pure cane sugar
    • Lab tested. Resealable 2 lb bag, sourced and packed in the USA

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    Overview

    Shelburne Farms is a 1,400-acre working farm, forest, and National Historic Landmark overlooking Lake Champlain, established in the late 1880s by William Seward Webb and Lila Vanderbilt Webb. Lila Webb's Flower Gardens — restored to their original grandeur — sit on a bluff above the lake and represent one of the finest surviving examples of American Country Place Era garden design, featuring terraced formal borders, perennial beds, and sweeping lawn vistas framed by Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are common summer breeders throughout the property.

    Hummingbirds to Watch For

    • • Ruby-throated

    Most Common Hummingbird

    The most commonly sighted hummingbird at Shelburne Farms is the Ruby-throated.

    Best Time to Visit

    Plan your visit during June, July, August, September for the highest chance of hummingbird sightings. Early morning and late afternoon are typically the most active feeding times.

    Plants and Habitat

    • • Bee balm (*Monarda didyma*) — restored Flower Garden perennial borders
    • • Garden phlox (*Phlox paniculata*)
    • • Cardinal flower (*Lobelia cardinalis*) — moist garden areas
    • • Trumpet honeysuckle (*Lonicera sempervirens*) — on farm structures
    • • Native columbine (*Aquilegia canadensis*) — early season
    • • Blazing star (*Liatris spicata*) — meadow borders

    NectarBloom Tip

    The Flower Gardens at the Inn are accessible via the Walking Trails or with a Campus Drive-through Pass. Visit in late July when the perennial borders are fully established — hummingbirds are commonly seen working the borders in early morning. The farm's vast meadows and forest edges also support hummingbirds throughout the property, so combine the Flower Garden visit with a walk on the farm trails for the fullest experience.

    Visitor Notes

    Campus access fee required. Open to visitors year-round; full programming April–October. Farm Store, cheese shop, and Inn on-site. ADA accessible on main campus paths.

    Map

    Ruby-throated near Bee balm (*Monarda didyma*) — restored Flower Garden perennial borders at Shelburne Farms in Vermont

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    Reviews and Sightings

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    Sources

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    View Shelburne Museum Gardens in Shelburne, VermontHummingbirds at Shelburne Museum Gardens in Shelburne, Vermont
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    The Green Mountain Audubon Center is a 255-acre wildlife sanctuary and environmental education hub in the foothills of the Green Mountains near Burlington, operated by Audubon Vermont since 1964 and recognized as an Important Bird Area. Five miles of public trails wind through northern hardwood forest, hemlock swamp, meadows, and the Bird-Friendly Sugarbush. The property hosts more than 100 species of breeding and wintering birds, and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are confirmed breeding residents — forest-edge meadow habitat is ideal for nesting and foraging from late May through early September.

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