So when I read about the levels of human intervention in keeping Anna's
hummingbirds here I wonder if this is such a good idea. What are the
ecological impacts of the actions of artificially supporting high levels of
these birds? Do they compete with, perhaps drive out the native Rufus
hummingbirds? Assuming early flowering resources are limited, what impact
does this unnatural residency of Annas have on migrating Rufus? Do they
pass disease or parasites to other birds? Are we propping up a species that
perhaps does not belong here to the detriment of others? It seems like its
one thing to provide nutrients to native birds throughout the winter, maybe
its another thing to artifically support the winter range of a species.


Rob Sandelin
Naturalist, Writer
The Environmental Science School
http://www.nonprofitpages.com/nica/SVE.htm
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-----Original Message-----
From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Christine
Southwick
Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2006 10:50 AM
To: Pterodroma at aol.com
Cc: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] tending hummingbirds through the deep freeze

I keep two hummingbird feeders going all years--three during the summer.
When the temps got cold here in Seattle, I tried two different methods:
1) Feeder # 1, I put a trouble light about 6 inches under the feeder (since
hummers are often banded here, I attached the trouble light to the cage that
surrounds the feeder)--the nectar never froze, and the regular hummers that
use it continued to do so. (I have used a trouble light in the past during
cold nights, with the theory that if hummers are cold, they can perch near
the light--I have seen some do so on cold days, so I have continued the
practice.)

2)Feeder # 2 I rotated two full feeders--when one froze, I replaced it with
the warm one. Since this feeder location is just outside my kitchen window,
I was able to watch more closely. That feeder was in regular use with at
least three separately identifiable Anna's--there may have been more.

Just a note; since I maintained the two regularly established feeders, with
their established territories, I had approx. the same amount of territorial
displays that I normally do. No cooperative sharing at my house.

P.S. I do NOT use food coloring. I have 7-9 year round Anna's, migrating
Rufus, and immature of both using my feeders (during the summer)--so who
needs food coloring? When I was first attracting them into my newly-planted
hummer garden, I painted my shop door red, and I have a red gazing ball. My
take is that the feeders, etc, have enough red to do the initial attracting;
and if there is even the slightest chance that the food coloring could be
causing tumors, why take the chance?

Christine Southwick
Shoreline/N Seattle
clsouth at u.washington.edu


On Sun, 19 Feb 2006 Pterodroma at aol.com wrote:

>
> In a message dated 2/18/2006, Scott Ray writes:
>
> << I don't know how hummingbird feeder owners are doing it here in
> Yakima where there are several Anna's Hummers. The low last night
> was 6 degrees here. Was your feeder freezing? >>
>
>
>
> Hello Scott -- At 17 to the mid 20's, the feeders first freeze up at
> the openings where the hummingbirds feed and too hard for the birds to
penetrate.
> Inside the tubes and bottles, it just turns slushy with the slush
> accumulating from the top down. It would eventually freeze solid I
> suppose if I didn't bring them in for warm up. At 6 degrees like over
> in Yakima, I don't think there is any hope or anything you can do except
maybe try some sort of
> electrical heating device which I know some people do use. That's a
little more
> trouble and hard freezes are rare enough over here, I don't think it's
worth it.
> Anna's are such hardcore survivors and they have been dealing with
> this naturally for eons, otherwise they wouldn't be here at all, and
> I'd guess when things really get tough, they just bundle up, shut
> down, and go into a hibernation of sorts.
>
>
> ****************************************************
> 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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