<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">I don’t think anyone is recommending taking down bird feeders because of avian influenza.  Songbirds don’t seem to be affected as much as larger birds.  But, as always, it’s important to clean bird feeders regularly with a 10% bleach solution.  <div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Here’s some info from Cornell:</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/avian-influenza-outbreak-should-you-take-down-your-bird-feeders/" class="">https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/avian-influenza-outbreak-should-you-take-down-your-bird-feeders/</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Bob Boekelheide</div><div class="">Sequim</div><div class=""><br class=""><div><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On Nov 4, 2022, at 10:29 AM, Karen Deyerle <<a href="mailto:kldinseattle@yahoo.com" class="">kldinseattle@yahoo.com</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="ydp79007803yahoo-style-wrap" style="font-family:Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:16px;"><div class=""></div>
        <div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false" class="">Should we bring our bird feeders in?</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false" class=""><br class=""></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false" class="">Karen</div><div class=""><br class=""></div>
        
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                    On Friday, November 4, 2022 at 10:17:50 AM PDT, Bob Boekelheide <<a href="mailto:bboek@olympus.net" class="">bboek@olympus.net</a>> wrote:
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                <div class=""><div id="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424" class=""><div class=""><div class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"><font face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif" class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"><span class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424">Hello, Tweeters,</span></font></div><div class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"><font face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif" class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"><span class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"><br class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"></span></font></div><div class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"><font face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif" class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"><span class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424">Avian influenza alert — Last week a homeowner discovered a sick Great Blue Heron standing in her driveway southeast of Sequim. It was weak and lethargic, barely able to keep its head up. She called Discovery Bay Wild Bird Rescue, who ended up euthanizing the bird and sending a sample to the State Veterinarian via WDFW. </span></font><span style="font-family:Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;" class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424">It tested positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).     </span></div><div class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"><span style="font-family:Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;" class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"><br class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"></span></div><div class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"><font face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif" class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"><span class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424">APHIS/USDA (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service/US Dept of Agriculture) has an excellent website to search US records of avian influenza in wild birds:  </span></font></div><div class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"><span style="font-family:Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;" class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"><br class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"></span></div><div class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"><span style="font-family:Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;" class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"> </span><font face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif" class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"><span class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"><a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-2022/2022-hpai-wild-birds" class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-2022/2022-hpai-wild-birds</a></span></font></div><div class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"><span style="font-family:Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;" class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"><br class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"></span></div><div class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"><span style="font-family:Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;" class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424">Looking at the APHIS/USDA records, this is the first GBH with HPIA for WA, but there are at least six other GBH recovered with avian influenza in the US, including two in Florida and one each in New York, Michigan, Idaho, and Oregon.</span><span style="font-family:Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;" class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"> </span><span style="font-family:Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;" class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424">Most HPAI wild bird records are waterfowl, along with lots of raptors and other waterbirds. Very few passerines make the list, likely because they’re not found or tested. Prior to this GBH, other wild birds recorded in Clallam County with HPAI were three Bald Eagles.    </span></div><div class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"><br class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"></div><div class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424">As you’ve probably read, HPAI is highly contagious and very deadly for birds. Testing labs can’t test every sick wild bird, but HPAI is now widespread in WA and we birders should be on the lookout for numbers of sick birds.    </div><div class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"><br class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"></div><div class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424">Bob Boekelheide</div><div class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424">Sequim</div><div class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"><font face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif" class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"><span style="font-size:13.333333015441895px;" class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"><br class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"></span></font></div><div class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"><br class="ydpef73c538yiv2268762424"></div></div></div>_______________________________________________<br class="">Tweeters mailing list<br class=""><a href="mailto:Tweeters@u.washington.edu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="">Tweeters@u.washington.edu</a><br class=""><a href="http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="">http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters</a><br class=""></div>
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