We have Rufous and Anna's hummingbirds here in the north Puget Sound area. This is our second winter here, our first year with a hummingbird feeder. Our sugar water feeder (1:4) hangs under the eve outside our breakfast room.
The question of the appropriateness of humans feeding wild animals deserves reflection. In many places it is correctly illegal, excepting birds and perhaps squirrels. I almost always come down philosophically on the side of letting wild things be, but my Mother was an animal lover who always had multiple bird feeders on her back porch, so feeding birds may be in some human genes. After reflection, I determined that I would not be harming the birds nor interfering in their life's rhythms. Also, Debby was given two hand-made bird feeders when she retired, and we have them hanging outside as well, but only for decoration, since we haven't figured out how to squirrel-proof them yet. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service encourages bird feeding, particularly in winter, so long as the feeding is consistent. Many species are extending their ranges north, and may need help to survive during unusual cold snaps.
This year, the Rufous hummers went away sometime in the fall. We did not notice when. Anna's, however, have extended their range to enable wintering on the north Puget Sound. A pair of Anna's has remained here, male and female. They take over a week to empty the feeder. We have had several very cold nights, reaching 10° F one night, but not too much snow. On these cold nights, I bring the feeder in before going to bed and put it back up first thing. A solute of sugar in water freezes at a lower temperature than water alone, so most nights it does not freeze. But below 20°, it freezes solid.
At first, when I would put out the feeder in the morning, it would be a half hour or more before either bird would visit. But this morning, after an 18° night, as soon as I opened the door the male was buzzing above my head, and jumped onto a perch just 10 seconds after I hung it. I might think it was just happy to see me, but much more likely, it is behaving aggressively toward me for taking control of its nectar source. This opinion is furthered because I have only seen the male do this. And I am usually wearing a Cardinal sweatshirt, which may cause the male to 'see red', although I doubt he is confusing me with a big flower.
The male is a skittish drinker, half the time eschewing the perch and drinking on the wing. First a sip, then backs away and looks up at the whole feeder, as if trying to puzzle it out. Repeat several times over 30 seconds and then he is off. The female hops on the perch and drinks as long as she wants, then she is off. So far, I have only observed them using the feeder simultaneously a couple of times.
I am not so fussy about keeping it refreshed. I clean it as soon as it is emptied, which is oftener in warm weather when more birds are drinking there. After a very hot water rinse, I refill it and then rehang. The experts suggest cleaning it every two days, which strikes me as a little silly. It gets only a brief sun exposure early in the morning. In the winter, I increase the sugar concentration, lowering the freezing point further and giving the birds the maximum energy benefit.
So far, I have no idea where their nest is or what it looks like. We have a small marshy wetland area behind and beside our lot. An old willow tree grows only 20 feet from the feeder, which should be a good source of insects. I read they like to catch flying insects in mid air, but I've only seen this on TV. We have no natural winter nectar sources in our yard, but do have hummer-friendly plantings for the other three seasons.
The birds look healthy and content, although smaller than I remember the Anna's in SoCal. I will try to get a picture some day. It seems counterintuitive that such a small body would have the reserves to withstand a 10° F night. We're told that when it is very cold, they can enter a torpor, allowing their body temperature to decrease by up to 30°.
We are pleased to live in their territory.
The question of the appropriateness of humans feeding wild animals deserves reflection. In many places it is correctly illegal, excepting birds and perhaps squirrels. I almost always come down philosophically on the side of letting wild things be, but my Mother was an animal lover who always had multiple bird feeders on her back porch, so feeding birds may be in some human genes. After reflection, I determined that I would not be harming the birds nor interfering in their life's rhythms. Also, Debby was given two hand-made bird feeders when she retired, and we have them hanging outside as well, but only for decoration, since we haven't figured out how to squirrel-proof them yet. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service encourages bird feeding, particularly in winter, so long as the feeding is consistent. Many species are extending their ranges north, and may need help to survive during unusual cold snaps.
This year, the Rufous hummers went away sometime in the fall. We did not notice when. Anna's, however, have extended their range to enable wintering on the north Puget Sound. A pair of Anna's has remained here, male and female. They take over a week to empty the feeder. We have had several very cold nights, reaching 10° F one night, but not too much snow. On these cold nights, I bring the feeder in before going to bed and put it back up first thing. A solute of sugar in water freezes at a lower temperature than water alone, so most nights it does not freeze. But below 20°, it freezes solid.
At first, when I would put out the feeder in the morning, it would be a half hour or more before either bird would visit. But this morning, after an 18° night, as soon as I opened the door the male was buzzing above my head, and jumped onto a perch just 10 seconds after I hung it. I might think it was just happy to see me, but much more likely, it is behaving aggressively toward me for taking control of its nectar source. This opinion is furthered because I have only seen the male do this. And I am usually wearing a Cardinal sweatshirt, which may cause the male to 'see red', although I doubt he is confusing me with a big flower.
The male is a skittish drinker, half the time eschewing the perch and drinking on the wing. First a sip, then backs away and looks up at the whole feeder, as if trying to puzzle it out. Repeat several times over 30 seconds and then he is off. The female hops on the perch and drinks as long as she wants, then she is off. So far, I have only observed them using the feeder simultaneously a couple of times.
I am not so fussy about keeping it refreshed. I clean it as soon as it is emptied, which is oftener in warm weather when more birds are drinking there. After a very hot water rinse, I refill it and then rehang. The experts suggest cleaning it every two days, which strikes me as a little silly. It gets only a brief sun exposure early in the morning. In the winter, I increase the sugar concentration, lowering the freezing point further and giving the birds the maximum energy benefit.
So far, I have no idea where their nest is or what it looks like. We have a small marshy wetland area behind and beside our lot. An old willow tree grows only 20 feet from the feeder, which should be a good source of insects. I read they like to catch flying insects in mid air, but I've only seen this on TV. We have no natural winter nectar sources in our yard, but do have hummer-friendly plantings for the other three seasons.
The birds look healthy and content, although smaller than I remember the Anna's in SoCal. I will try to get a picture some day. It seems counterintuitive that such a small body would have the reserves to withstand a 10° F night. We're told that when it is very cold, they can enter a torpor, allowing their body temperature to decrease by up to 30°.
We are pleased to live in their territory.
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