The freezing daytime temps sent me looking for a "feeder heater". The
quickest, cheapest, easiest solution I found was using a strand of small
(incandescent) Christmas lights bunched up under and around the bottom
of the feeder. It kept the feeder thawed even at the 16 degree low at
my place and my one lone Anna's had nectar every day. They don't
generate much heat but I guess it's just enough (safe on plastic feeders).
I also found this (made in Oregon): http://www.hummersheateddelight.com/
Tori Morgan
Cottage Grove
On 1/21/2017 9:06 PM, Wayne van der Naald (Redacted sender waynevdn for
DMARC) wrote:
Glad that the freezing weather is over for now. Had to bring the 20 plus feeders, spread over an acre of yards, in the days when the temperatures dipped below 25 degrees F. Went to a 2 to 1 ratio of water to sugar and still the feeders froze.
So we are back to "normal" for a while. Things have changed quite a bit over the last week here. I saw six females (with no or small gorgets) showing up when before I saw only one or two females over the last several weeks. Interestingly, the males were not chasing the females away from the feeders today. I don't know what's going on but perhaps the male's tolerance of the females being around the feeders has to do with the fact that mating time is here. That's my guess but although I'm a biologist (fish) I'm just learning about what these incredible birds are about, especially their resilient behavior during the winter.
I've put out raw cotton in suet feeders for nest building. Maybe the female Anna's (and chickadees,etc.) will use it for nesting material soon, We'll see.
