Early on I mix sugar/water at almost 3:1 instead of 4:1. I boil the sugar water and cool it well before setting it out. The extra sugar kind of makes up for the long Winter trip they just flew. I cut the mix down after they have been around for a month or so. I'm not getting any to the feeder right now tho. We live in a valley where it is frosting almost every night...tough on birds. But they will show soon.