Hi Carolyn,

I agree. I believe that the Anna's would not survive now without these
food sources. When I put out my hummingbird feeder this morning (I took it
in last night so that the nectar wouldn't freeze) a little before sunrise,
I had 2 hummingbirds there within 5 minutes. They've been coming back
every few minutes. Normally, there is an adolescent male fiercely guarding
it (his name is Nigel; I believe that he's a reincarnated English soccer
hooligan). He displayed absolutely no aggression this morning.

Lonnie Somer
Seattle

On Fri, Feb 12, 2021 at 10:42 PM Carolyn Heberlein <coheberlein at gmail.com>
wrote:


> Hi Tweeters,

>

> I am just wondering what you all think about the story that I heard

> tonight on King 5 news about salmonella and taking down bird feeders and

> emptying bird baths. They said even hummingbird feeders should be taken

> down. Personally, I feel that my 2 pair of hummingbirds rely on the 5

> feeders in my garden for winter sustenance. If I thought they could survive

> without the nectar then I would be happy to take them down.

>

> I've never seen any bird except Anna's at my hummingbird feeders. Maybe a

> Rufous sneaked in during the summer, but I missed it.

>

> A couple months ago, I saw Pine Siskins at my thistle seed feeder. When I

> heard that they had salmonella, I stopped filling it. I saw 2 sick siskins

> but no others.

>

> I still have my suet feeders up. Many bush tits visit them as well as

> bewicks wrens and townsend warblers - even the juncos!! And of course,

> sometimes northern flickers, stellar jays, and starlings.

>

> Also, in the wintery weather that we are getting this weekend, I empty my

> bird baths every night so that they don't freeze. Then I refill them in

> the morning.

>

> I would be willing to stop all of this for the health of the birds, except

> the hummingbird feeders. I feel like my lovely Anna's might die if I didn't

> provide them some sugar water.

>

> What say you all?

>

> Thank you, Carolyn

>

>

>

> --

> Carolyn Finder Heberlein / Nana, Fremont Neighborhood, Seattle, Washington

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> Tweeters at u.washington.edu

> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters

>

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