I just went out to check after reading your reply. It's very, VERY dead. I've removed it and cleaned and refilled the feeder.
Patricia Hansen
1 balcony
University Place, Wa. USA
pmhansen at drizzle.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Cliff Drake
To: pmhansen at drizzle.com
Cc: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Sent: Saturday, January 18, 2003 12:03 PM
Subject: Re: dead hummer
Last winter I came home about 11AM and saw one hanging upside down on the feeder perch, it flew off when I tried to move the feeder to get at it. I only thought it was dead. later it sat on the feeder for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, feeding only occasionally. I was able to get within a foot of it and it never moved, I figured it was in a state of torpor or something. Another one came and fed when it was there and it didn't move then either.
=======================
Cliff Drake
SW Ballard, Seattle, WA
cliff at cliffdrake.net
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: dead hummer
From: "Patricia Hansen" <pmhansen at drizzle.com>
Date: Sat, January 18, 2003 12:31 pm
To: "TWEETERS" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
I slept late ( 10:00 ) this morning and I had left late yesterday
afternoon and was gone for the evening so I'm not sure when this
happened. While waiting for my coffee I noticed a humming bird just
sitting on the feeder, not unusual, except it sat there for a long
time, and looked sort of funny, scrunched down and feathers puffed
out. Then another shows up, flys around and buzzes it a few times and
sort of pokes at it before starting to feed. Now THAT was weird. I
went out to investigate and the little thing was dead, still gripping
the feeder rests. I clean and sterilize my feeders every third day. I
know they are VERY clean and VERY well rinsed. I use cane sugar, ? cup
to a cup of water. I know that birds are going to die but this seems
a rather unusual circumstance. Has this happened to anyone else?
Patricia Hansen
1 balcony
University Place, Wa. USA
pmhansen at drizzle.com
"Use what talent you possess:
the woods would be
very silent if no birds sang
except those that sang best."
- Henry Van Dyke