[Tweeters] King 5 News Tonight - Take down Hummingbird Feeders

[THOMAS BENEDICT]

I put a baking tray out with a couple handfuls of seeds. The juncos, towhees and sparrows love it. I also put out a tray of water. It may only last a couple hours before freezing though.

Tom Benedict
Seahurst, WA


>     On 02/13/2021 8:59 AM Dennis Paulson <dennispaulson at comcast.net> wrote:

>      

>      

>     I would add that all the people who took in their feeders should try to scatter a lot of seeds out on the ground in sheltered places. This deep snow is really stressful for ground-feeding birds, and they could use our help. 

>      

>     Dennis Paulson

>     Seattle

> 

> 

>         > >         On Feb 13, 2021, at 8:42 AM, Lonnie Somer < mombiwheeler at gmail.com mailto:mombiwheeler at gmail.com > wrote:

> >         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 mailto: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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