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Shelburne Free Press https://shelburnefreepress.ca/?p=7822 Export date: Tue Jul 23 8:19:45 2024 / +0000 GMT |
Hummingbirds: are we feeding them to death? Well spring has arrived and with it, our feathered friends are soon to follow. Today, I am talking about our ruby throated hummingbird. One was spotted May 1st in Peterborough Ontario. So time to get out those feeders. I prefer glass to plastic. Easier to clean and keep fresh. Here are a few things you must know about feeding hummingbirds to keep them alive and healthy. Every time you refill your feeder which should be every other day in hot weather. Rinse in hot tap water and scrub. Do not use soap. You can buy special brushes where they sell bird feeders and supplies. Do not let any fungus accumulate in your feeder. You don't like to drink out of a dirty glass, neither do they. Do not let your nectar turn rancid. This can cause liver problems and lead to death for hummers. One more don't. Do not, and I cannot express this enough, use read food colouring in your nectar. This can be fatal over time, causing a fungus to develop on the hummers tongue. The hummer will die a slow, horrible and painful death of starvation. The fungus makes the tongue swell so the bird cannot eat. And if feeding young they will die too, as she will pass it along to them. If you get a hummer that is lethargic and has stopped eating. It is too late. It will die within 24 hours. Comforting it is all you can do. Do not buy store bought nectar mixes. Make your own. It is easy. 1 part sugar to four parts water. That's it. Boil the kettle, measure 4 cups of water into a pitcher with 1 cup of white sugar and stir. Let cool. Put some nectar in your clean feeder and store the rest in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Easy, safe and won't harm your hummingbirds. Using boiling water will help to slow down the fermentation of the nectar. However once the bird's starts using it, they are introducing microorganisms into the nectar. Word of thumb again. Don't let it go cloudy. They do not need red. Choose your feeders carefully. Glass, easy to clean and easy to fill. And have a perch on them so the hummer can sit while feeding. Allowing it to conserve much needed energy while feeding. Good for you and for the hummer's. If you are going away for more than a couple of days. Take your feeders in. Don't leave them out. The food will go rancid and the hummers can get sick as I said before. Same goes if it turns cloudy. Take it inside, empty, clean and refill. Sounds like a lot, but only a couple of minutes will keep the feeder clean, fresh and safe. If you see neighbours feeders going cloudy or using red nectar. You may want to go over and talk to them. A lot of people do not know these things. And are harming the birds without even having any idea. Only put as much as you need. No need to fill it right up unless you are lucky and have a lot of birds. Plant a native hummingbird friendly garden. Honeysuckle, trumpet vine, lavender, hanging baskets of fuchsia for example will keep them in natural more healthy foods. Insects are also a big part of a hummingbird's diet. So a natural garden will give them both nectar and the insects they need. Oh and by the way, Lavender is also supposed to be a mosquito repellent. Rub your hands through the lavender plant and rub on your skin. I have not tried it yet but plan on it this year when I am out in the field. I hate bug sprays and the chemicals within. So anything natural is perfect and worth the try. Now you know how to keep your feeders fresh, clean and most of all safe. Sit back and enjoy. natureworksphotography.blogspot.com By Jennifer Howard  
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Post date: 2014-06-04 15:26:57 Post date GMT: 2014-06-04 19:26:57 Post modified date: 2014-06-11 14:47:13 Post modified date GMT: 2014-06-11 18:47:13 |
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