kelly@nntp-server.caltech.edu (Fishhead) (01/10/91)
I tried emailing this but it bounced, its a response to the previous gripe about hummingbird "article". I read the posting in rec.birds and couldn't help but wonder if you were referring to my brief quote about hummers being found down during frosts and that they might not be dead but might be ina state of torpor... If so, i really do not remember recommending any commercial food, preservative, dye or anything. I believe i did mention the 'HumPowerFood' which is a protein suppliment that may be added when extra nutrition is necessary. This is not a commercial mix, nor is it being sold to be used to feed downed hummers, but can be used if you're in a pinch and desperate, if you make it up ina gruel solution consistency. Its a duplicate of the recipe the San Diego Zoological Gardens pioneered for their walk through hummingbird exhibit, and they still use the same recipe as well as fruit flies and other insect suppliments as well as all the plants they can cultivate. Project wildlife uses it in a gruel mixture, with and as a suppliment to their other recipes. Aside from that, i completely agree 100% with everything you said, and support it, i hope i didn't confuse you by thinking i was supporting dyes preservatives, or *any* commercial mix, especially junk like Natural Springs Nectar which has a sugar content of 41-48%, the 20-25% you mentioned is what it should be, any more, as you know, can damage the hummer's liver, as well as make it an addict of the feeder which means it neglects its other food sources leading to one sick bird. Anyhow, I hope i cleared that all up, i wasn't sure if you were commenting about my "article" or not... Kelly Hi Kelly. No, I was responding to a much previous article found in rec.birds where the poster had mentioned using commercial brands of instant nectar. I believe Woodsworld is on the right track with their special protein supplement. I am leery of reccomending it to the general public as you can definately cause a lot of harm if it is used incorrectly. Louise Blakey in Los Altos (who was one of the first people to successfully rehabilitate an injured hummingbird in teh Bay Area) in her book "Our Hummingbirds" mentions using a protein supplement if the weather is freezing and all the natural insect populations eliminated. However, she cautions people to change this mixture at least once a day as it spoils quickly. I had an aviary up at our La Honda property and was taking hummingbirds from Wildlife Rescue that were strong enough to fly but not quite ready to be released. (These were the ones that had been HAND FED every 20 minutes during the day with a special protein "goopP. When they could fly and feed themselves they were send up to me.) Anyway, as I had the nursery that propagated hummingbird plants, I had many different types and shapes of flowers to switch in and out of the aviary so the birds could learn to successfully feed before being released. Anyway, as they were not getting any insects in the aviary, Pat Gonzales of Wildlife Rescue gave me frozed jars of her special protein mix to thaw and place in syringes in the aviary for the hummers to feed from. I don't know exactly what was in it-I do know it had tubifex worms ground up. I needed to change this mix at least TWICE a day or more if it was really hot. What I learned from this whole experience was that the average person is better off trying to find an expert rather that attempting to rehabilitate an injured hummer himself. I did have several birds in a state of torpor in the morning (had run out of food thatnight I guess) I was successful in warming them in my hands a few minutes and then getting them to take some sugar water out of a syringe. They perked up remarkabley fast, i put them back in the aviary and they were able to feed successfully from the syringe of protein goop. Hope that was all clear. I don't want to steer people out of trying to help an injured hummer, but make the point that if it can't fly and feed itself, it needs to be hand fed every 20 minutes with a specialized diet. Have you used the special powder sold by Woodsworld? What does it say about changing it or spoilage? Karen Sullivan, formerly of Hummingbird Gardens Nursery Donna, I hope you see this. Tried to reply to you but we were having problems with this account. We moved from La Honda up to Kelseyville in August. I brought all my stock plants but don't know if I really want to start the Nursery again yet. Have a new baby and things to do with this property. The Nursery was a lot of fun, but too much work for one person and I could not keep up with all the correspondence. If you are interested, the June Sunset of 90 had a picture of part of my garden in their Salvia article
kelly@nntp-server.caltech.edu (Fishhead) (01/10/91)
[hey! I have that salvia article, its great! Hey, The picture of you, Karen Sullivan, is the one i used to plan *my* salvia garden this year... amazing :) ] I agree, again with what you're saying, I only put my feeder up during the winter through nesting, and the other times, i have my garden packed with salvias, and all sorts of other plants, natives to hybrids, that I've been collecting for a few years, so i don't feel they need that feeder, i'd rather they snack on the blossoms and insects. When i have my feeder up, i use the 'HumPowerFood' change it every other-every two days, and usually fill the feeder with only 1/8th-1/16th of a cup of teh solution (20% sugar, plus the HumPowerFood,) and i make up a new solution every two weeks and keep that in the fridge between refillings of feeder. As for the user who asked about when to put a feeder up and take it down, i think there are at least two schools of thought. One feels that you should take it down when the flowers in your area (if you live in an area that they migrate from, and experience freezing temperatures in winter,) are dying and fading away (flowers that they get nectar from of course.) Another group, feel that hummers are not that stupid, (to hang around an area just because a feeder is up,) and that the migrating instict is strong, and thus you should leave the feeder up a little longer so that birds that are migrating through can fill up there. I tend to be part of the first group of thought, since i feel that if there is a chance a young bird hangs around too long in an area (because, in part, of the extra food provided by a feeder,) then its better to error on the side of safety and take the feeder down when the blossoms fade to make sure all the birds get the idea that the food is disappearing and they won't (hopefully,) be caught in an early freeze. As for putting the feeder up, you could put it out when you see some hummingbirds returning to your area. Here, where i live, there are hummers year round, and since only bird of paradise, christmas cactus and a few odd plants in my garden are available to them, i put my feeders up in winter and take them down after any local nesting babies have taken wing for about a week or so. By that time, plenty of flowers are available, no need for me to have a feeder up i feel. Again, the one part white sugar to four parts water recipe is felt best by a number of people, including the curator of birds at the San Diego Zoological Gardens, that is what they use in their feeders, not commerical mixes. Any injured wild animal should immediately be taken to a professional, or you should immediately call them to ask for instructions on what to do. that is by far the best way to handle a situation. Especially with hummers who have such high metabolisms and cannot survive on sugar water for more than a few hours if young or injured. The goo you probably fed yours was made up most likely of a salt-free baby food, or some source of protein, some fish food like tubifex worms or fruit flies, and maybe a bit of calcium, since they don't digest it well, but need just a *little*, in the form of powdered milk or dicalcium phosphate. That is what the local people use as well as some 'HumPowerFood' sometimes especially if its an extended stay case... Your nursey sounds wonderful, i wish i'd known about it before you closed, let me know if you decide to open up again...! Kelly
kelly@nntp-server.caltech.edu (Fishhead) (01/10/91)
Let me just make it clear when i'm talking about when *i* put up or take down my feeder, i live in southern california on the coast, which naturally has hummers year round. People who live in areas that do not naturally have hummers year round and also have freezing temperatures in the winter, should probably take their feeders down when the flowers in their area are dying/dead in fall and then put it back up when the hummers return to the area in spring.