lostriver at completebbs.com writes:

> That IS interesting. I pulled up a picture of the feeder on the internet:
> http://www.petluvers.com/perky-pethummingbirdfeeder.html
>
> It's a gravity feeder. Maybe the hummingbirds can sense the weight of the
> reservoir in the pressure they feel when they put their beaks into the
> feeder. Perhaps they prefer the lower pressure of smaller reservoir. Real
> flowers don't "push" the nectar into the hummer.

That's an interesting take on the gravity feeder theory. I had vaguely
thought of that but guess I dismissed it since "pushing" the nectar didn't
seem so much an issue since there is always nectar in the tube and the
hummers just lap away at it with their little tongues going a zillion miles
per second.

The most popular feeders are my 3 simple hanging ones with a little inverted
clear glass bottle with a tube hanging down. They were the cheapest and
simplest ever made but I can't find those anymore to save my life. I asked
Wild Birds Unlimited in Bellevue/Redmond and was told they don't carry them
anymore, and Perky Pet may not even make them anymore, because they had a
tendency to drip and drip on sensitive people's decks making them sticky and
attract ants. I don't mind a little sticky (just wash it off if it's
bothersome) and besides, somebody's got to feed the ants :-))

I've looked everywhere for these little feeders from the bird stores,
hardware stores, to K-mart and Walmart up and down the West Coast and
Midwest. I guess I should go check the Perky Pet website. In the meantime,
if anyone knows where I might find one locally, or just wants to get rid of
theirs, please let me know. Thanks!
---Richard Rowlett

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Richard Rowlett
Bellevue (Eastgate), WA, USA

"Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what
nobody has thought" --Albert Szent-Gyorgi (1893-1986).
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