[obol] Fwd: [MidValleyNature:6358] Cold weather and birds
- From: Linda Fink <linda@xxxxxxxx>
- To: OBOLINKS <OBOL@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2021 05:39:45 -0800
--- Begin Message ---
- From: Lisa Millbank <millbank.lisa@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: Mid-Valley Nature <mid-valley-nature@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2021 20:33:26 -0800
The extended weather forecast shows unusually cold temperatures and snow
between Christmas and New Year's Day. The various weather models are
currently saying that lows could be in the single digits to the mid-teens,
and with multiple days staying below freezing, it will probably be colder
weather than we've had since December 2013. We thought we'd put together
some cold weather tips for those who feed birds.
- Switch hummingbird nectar to a 3:1 water:granulated white sugar
solution. The freezing point will be depressed so it will stay liquid at
slightly colder temperatures than a 4:1 solution, and it contains more
calories per volume. (See below for an explanation of the benefits and
safety of a 3:1 solution from hummingbird expert and field guide author
Sheri Williamson.)*
- Keep nectar thawed from morning twilight to evening twilight. A short
strand of the old-style incandescent Christmas lights wadded up and
attached to the bottom of the feeder usually produce enough heat to keep
nectar from freezing on cold days (LED lights won't work), although the
feeders may still have to be brought in overnight. We've used a "heat
rock" designed for reptile cages, and that was effective also. There are
also heated feeders available from Hummers Heated Delight
<https://hummersheateddelight.com/xcart/> in Albany, and people have
come up with other creative ways to keep it thawed. The northern expansion
of the Anna's Hummingbird range is new and closely associated with humans,
and research shows
<https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiMvsbm0Pr0AhWuLTQIHe6GBpQ4FBAWegQIAhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Froyalsocietypublishing.org%2Fdoi%2Fpdf%2F10.1098%2Frspb.2017.0256&usg=AOvVaw3hQGBFqYvcEzLghxYebL1l>
that they are at least partially dependent on supplementary nectar-feeding
here.
- Some small birds, including chickadees, bluebirds and wrens will roost
in cavities/nest boxes. If you have nest boxes and haven't cleaned out old
nests, check to see if the nest material has gotten wet with all the rain
we've had. If it's wet or dirty, you can remove it and fill the box about
halfway with fresh, dry insulating material such as straw, dry leaves, pine
needles, wood shavings, feathers or dry moss or lichens. Things to avoid
include dryer lint, cotton batting and polyester fiberfill/stuffing.
Cover ventilation slots (cardboard and thumbtacks work), or stuff the vents
with the insulating materials listed above, or use foam weather stripping.
- If you can, offer fresh water in your birdbath at least twice a day
because birds need to drink, especially seed-eaters. They can eat snow,
but it costs them additional energy to do this. They also need to bathe to
keep up the insulating capacity of their plumage. You can pour warm water
(105F) into the birdbath and it will take quite a while to freeze.
- Pine Siskins are still suffering from salmonellosis and need seed
feeders to be cleaned as often as possible. The primary source of disease
is when siskins eat fallen seed and droppings that mingle beneath feeders,
so minimizing that is the best way to reduce transmission. The stress of
cold weather may make them more vulnerable.
Lisa Millbank and Don Boucher
*From Sheri Williamson, author of the* Peterson** Field Guide to
Hummingbirds of North America* and *Attracting and Feeding Hummingbirds*:
"Some hummingbird experts do (or did) insist on a feeder solution no
stronger than 4:1, but I've never been a member of that camp. On page 40 of
*Attracting
and Feeding* you'll find that I recommend a solution of three to five
parts water to one part sugar - a pretty wide range. Hummingbird-pollinated
flowers produce nectar that ranges in sugar content from as weak as 10:1 to
as strong as 1:1.
Both of the extremes are rare, and the average sugar content is close to
3:1.
Studies of the birds' physiology suggest that solutions stronger than 3:1
may not provide sufficient water in extremely hot, dry conditions and that
solutions
weaker than 4:1 may not provide enough sugar for the birds to maintain
their body weight when the weather is cold (stronger solutions also freeze
at lower temperatures, which is very useful for people lucky enough to host
hummingbirds year round). A 5:1 solution can be useful in discouraging bees
or helping the birds through extreme heat and drought.
When I wrote* Attracting and Feeding* eight years ago, I was deliberately
conservative in my recommendations to avoid upsetting a handful of my
colleagues in the hummingbird community who were adamantly opposed to
solutions stronger than 4:1. Since then most of them have changed their
minds, thanks in large part to the article that begins on page 7 of this
issue of the Louisiana Ornithological Society News
<https://web.archive.org/web/20170416063535/http://losbird.org/news/0326_201_news.pdf>
I now feed 3:1 most of the year, except during the very hot, dry days of
late spring and early summer, and I do think it helps the southbound
migrants and overwintering birds. Using a slightly stronger solution may
not be as important to your feeding strategy with all the good natural food
you're providing, but it isn't going to do the birds any harm."
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