So many questions about winter Anna's! While many of the following statements may have been uttered in the last week, I thought it might be useful to repeat some of the things that were learned from my 3 yr study in Magnolia, funded by the A.M.N.H. (Thank you, Phil Mattocks). There is a slight devil's advocate quality to this. I am not telling you what you should do.

Your feeder solution does not have to be red, it could be clear, hummingbirds will find it, especially if it is a strong solution.

However, it is preferable, not to have a water to "sugar" ratio stronger than five to one. The stronger the solution the more birds you may get, but the more damage you may do them.

The birds dislike any additives and it it is important to keep your feeders sterilised regularly.

However. feeder respondents sometimes added a few drops of glycerine to their solution in hard weather, This may lower the freezing temp of the mixture by several degrees.

Many retired people would have several feeders ready loaded so as soon as one was used up it could be replaced, or, if one mixture froze, it could be brought in and a liquid one put out.

People would wrap their feeders in hiking socks or place them near heat lamps to keep them thawed.

If hummers are hanging around lamps, it might be because they increased the ambient temperature and so increased survival
chances. Also garages may have a higher ambient temp, hence it would be a better place to hang feeders.

If a feeder is lit all night, then hummers will visit all night; they prefer the opportunity to feed in hard weather, rather than the opportunity to rest at night.

This, finally, raises, an important question. Hummingbirds "rest" and conserve energy and resources by going into torpor, by
substantially lowering their metabolic rate. The following is still not fully understood, but in general hard weather, or long periods of freezing such as we are now experiencing, hummingbirds like Anna's most likely do NOT go into torpor. If they did this for long periods they might well freeze to death, especially if they are undernourished. Thus it follows that leaving the light or heat lamp on, or keeping access to the garage open may aid bird survival.

There are several hummingbird species in the high Andes, which live and breed up to 15,000 feet. They survive by having adequate floral resources (cushion plants and puya puya), elevational commuting, selective torpor and overnighting in caves. One birds cave be another bird's garage or micro-habitat, such as the warm walls of our houses.

In case of our local species, Anna's Hummingbirds, they are one tough critter, they are highly opportunistic, and may very well surive most winters without feeders. The availability or ornamental plantings in urban and suburban areas ensures this in most winters. These birds are telling their own story. In the early eighties, analysing Xmas Count data, I estimated their numbers in the Greater Seattle area to be about 100. If one included populations in other western Washington towns and cities, that number might now be increased tenfold. Good birding DH














--
David Hutchinson, Owner
Flora & Fauna: Nature Books
Discovery Gardens: Native Plants
3212 W.Government Way
Seattle,WA.98199
http://www.ffbooks.net/
206-623-4727



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