Top-fill hummingbird feeder

A method of filling a hummingbird feeder, the hummingbird feeder including a reservoir bottle having a top end opening and a bottom end opening, a removable cap for sealing said top end opening, a feeding basin connected to the bottom end opening and having at least one feeding port, an actuator rod extending through said reservoir bottle and operatively associated with the removable top and movable from an up position to a down position, and a biased sealing mechanism operatively connected to the actuator rod and movable between a closed position and an open position;

• said method comprising:
• (1) removing the removable cap so that the actuator rod is in said up position, said sealing mechanism being upwardly biased to said closed position when said cap is removed from said top end opening;
• (2) pouring hummingbird liquid feed into the reservoir bottle through said top end opening;
• and
• (3) replacing the removable top to a sealed condition while moving the actuator rod to said down position and said sealing mechanism to said open position to provide liquid flow communication between said reservoir bottle and said feeding basin and to dispense liquid nectar for access to hummingbirds through said feeding port.

A hummingbird feeder comprising:

• (a) a reservoir bottle having a top end opening and a bottom end opening, said bottle configured to contain liquid nectar;
• (b) a removable cap for sealing the top end opening;
• (c) a feeding basin connected to the bottom end opening and having at least one feeding port, said feeding basin configured to be in liquid flow communication with said reservoir bottle when said top end opening is sealed by said cap to dispense liquid nectar for access to hummingbirds through said feeding port;
• (d) an actuator rod extending through said reservoir bottle and movable between an up position and a down position by sealing and unsealing said cap from said top end opening;
• and
• (e) a sealing mechanism operatively connected to the actuator rod adjacent the bottom end opening, said sealing mechanism having a first position in which said sealing mechanism is separated from said bottom end opening to allow free flow of liquid nectar from said reservoir into said feeding basin, and a second position in which said sealing mechanism closes said bottom end opening to prevent nectar from flowing into said feeding basin, said sealing mechanism being moved between said first and second positions by sealing and unsealing, respectively, said cap from said top end opening, and said sealing mechanism being upwardly biased to said second position when said cap is unsealed from said top opening.