zona@pyrps5 (Zona Walcott - lang group) (07/18/90)
Just thought I'd let you know of the interesting things
happening in my front yard in Santa Clara, California.
I have a hummingbird feeder and a "regular" bird seed feeder.
Mostly house finches and English sparrows visit the seed feeder.
Occasionally, a mockingbird will visit it too. The towhees will feed
off the ground what the others have thrown down.
Most interesting is the hummingbird feeder though. I do have
hummingbirds using it. They are mainly Anna's. However, and now
comes the fun part. The house finches and English Sparrows have
discovered how to perch on it and drink from it too. They look
rather silly, hanging on and almost toppling from it drinking.
But even more fun ... a couple of weeks ago, some Hooded orioles
discovered it too. There are about 3 of them I think. They look
even sillier perched on the hummingbird feeder drinking from it!
(They are almost as big as the feeder!) The hummingbirds at first
didn't seem to mind the small finches and would come right up to the
feeder to drink when the finchs were there. The orioles at first
gave them problems. Now, the hummers come right up to the feeder
when an oriole is perched there and drink from another perch!
(Oh yes, the orioles will occasionally try to eat some seeds from
the finch feeder though I don't know if they really get any!)
My question is will it do these birds (the ones unexpected at the
hummer feeder) any harm if they drink the stuff. (It's 1/4 cup
white sugar to 1 cup water.)
and ...
does anyone else have non-hummers visiting their hummer feeder?
thanks,
Zonajohn@nmt.edu (John Shipman) (07/19/90)
Zona Walcott (zona@pyrps5) writes: +-- | Most interesting is the hummingbird feeder though...a couple | of weeks ago, some Hooded Orioles discovered it too. +-- When I was living in Cupertino, not far from you there in Santa Clara, I looked all over the Bay Area for Hooded Orioles without success. Then one morning I rolled over in bed and noticed a big orange bird on my hummer feeder---and logged a lifer Hooded Oriole: the only lifer I've ever listed (a) without my glasses on, and (b) before getting out of bed in the morning. -- John Shipman/Zoological Data Processing/Socorro, NM/john@jupiter.nmt.edu ``Let's go outside and commiserate with nature.'' --Dave Farber
donnak@sco.COM (Donna Karolchik) (07/20/90)
In article <120206@pyramid.pyramid.com> zona@pyrps5 (Zona Walcott - lang group) writes: > > My question is will it do these birds (the ones unexpected at the > hummer feeder) any harm if they drink the stuff. (It's 1/4 cup > white sugar to 1 cup water.) > > and ... > does anyone else have non-hummers visiting their hummer feeder? > > thanks, > Zona We've had orioles coming to our hummer feeder for the past 2 years now. The first year we thought it was entertaining until we realized that they were managing to dump most of the hummer food on the ground while rocking the feeder back and forth. This year we took the perches off the feeder, thinking that it would deter the critters from drinking. However, they've adapted to that and now do a great hummingbird imitation of flapping their wings furiously while trying to steal a few drops from the feeder. It's still entertaining to watch, and we don't have to refill the feeder as often... I suspect that the sugar water isn't going to hurt them, though I have no facts to base this on. -donna
jon@maui.cs.ucla.edu (Jonathan Gingerich) (07/21/90)
In article <8162@scorn.sco.COM> donnak@sco.COM (Donna Karolchik) writes: | |In article <120206@pyramid.pyramid.com> zona@pyrps5 (Zona Walcott - lang group) writes: |> |> and ... |> does anyone else have non-hummers visiting their hummer feeder? |> |> thanks, |> Zona | |We've had orioles coming to our hummer feeder for the past 2 years now. |The first year we thought it was entertaining until we realized that they |were managing to dump most of the hummer food on the ground while rocking |the feeder back and forth. This year we took the perches off the feeder, You can buy feeders specifically designed for orioles. They will prefer it to a hummingbird feeders. They are very attractive birds in their own right. Jon.
zona@pyramid.pyramid.com ( lang group) (07/23/90)
In article <37153@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU> jon@maui.cs.ucla.edu (Jonathan Gingerich) writes: > > >You can buy feeders specifically designed for orioles. They will prefer >it to a hummingbird feeders. They are very attractive birds in their own >right. > >Jon. where can you find such feeders? I've never seen them and would love to have one. I do enjoy the orioles and think they are pretty wonderful themselves also. Zona
grp@unify.uucp (Greg Pasquariello) (07/23/90)
In article <8162@scorn.sco.COM> donnak@sco.COM (Donna Karolchik) writes: In article <120206@pyramid.pyramid.com> zona@pyrps5 (Zona Walcott - lang group) writes:> > > > > My question is will it do these birds (the ones unexpected at the > > hummer feeder) any harm if they drink the stuff. (It's 1/4 cup > > white sugar to 1 cup water.) > > > > and ... > > does anyone else have non-hummers visiting their hummer feeder? > > > > thanks, > > Zona > > We've had orioles coming to our hummer feeder for the past 2 years now. > The first year we thought it was entertaining until we realized that they > were managing to dump most of the hummer food on the ground while rocking > the feeder back and forth. This year we took the perches off the feeder, > thinking that it would deter the critters from drinking. However, they've > adapted to that and now do a great hummingbird imitation of flapping their > wings furiously while trying to steal a few drops from the feeder. It's > still entertaining to watch, and we don't have to refill the feeder as often... > > I suspect that the sugar water isn't going to hurt them, though I have no > facts to base this on. > > -donna We had the same problem. I replaced the feeder with one that has much smaller holes, and we have not had the orioles into it since then. Now if I can only get rid of the ants! -- -Greg Pasquariello grp@unify.com
phz@cadence.com (Pete Zakel) (07/25/90)
>Now if I can only get rid of the ants!
My feeders hang from clothesline strung between two poles, and I coat the
line with salad oil to discourage ants. It's messy, but it works. I only
coat it near the ends so the hummers can still sit on the line comfortably.
Another option is to spray the poles with ant spray (which I have done when
they get too bad, but I don't like to unless I have to), or just tolerate
the ants. I don't know if the ants discourage the hummers, I just don't
like getting them all over me when I have to add more sugar water. I've
noticed that the hornets who used to visit my old feeder discourage them
a bit, but I changed to a different type of feeder that makes it very
difficult for the hornets to access the water -- and also has four "flowers"
per feeder so even if a hornet is there, the hummer can still safely feed.
Of course, I miss the hornet fights I used to get with the old feeder -- one
hornet would grab the other, they'd both fall to the ground, then the quickest
one to recover would scoot up to grab a little more nectar before the other
caught up and grabbed him (her?) again. Almost as interesting as watching
the hummers chase each other around!
-Pete Zakel
(phz@cadence.com or ..!{hpda,versatc,apollo,ucbcad,uunet}!cadence!phz)
P.S. Someone asked about oriole feeders: they are available from Perky-Pet,
who also make the best hummingbird feeders (IMHO). I don't have the address
available, but you should be able to take it from any Perky-Pet feeder
package you find in your neighborhood grocery store (they'll send a catalogue
of their products that you can order direct from them -- including nectar
mix, they have one mix that has added vitamins and minerals and less food
coloring, replacement bee guards, etc., etc.).john@nmt.edu (John Shipman) (07/25/90)
Pete Zakel (phz@cadence.com) writes: +-- | Someone asked about oriole feeders: they are available | from Perky-Pet, who also make the best hummingbird feeders | (IMHO)...they have one [nectar] mix that has added vitamins | and minerals... +-- I agree that P-P makes decent feeders, but I would vote against their nectar mix. It is a very common misconception that hummers will get malnutrition from depending on sugar. This may be true for humans, but the diet of hummers contains a lot of insects, and this is where they get vitamins, minerals, and protein. You can safely feed them pure sugar withou worrying about their diet. Not only is the Perky-Pet nectar mix much more expensive than sugar, but I had lots more problems with bees and fungus when I used it. Just use sugar 4:1---start with a cup of sugar and dilute it out to a quart with water. -- John Shipman/Computer Science Department/New Mexico Tech/Socorro, NM 87801 (505)835-5301; john@jupiter.nmt.edu
JAHAYES@MIAMIU.BITNET (07/26/90)
This is about discouraging ants -- and it's kinda gross, but usually pretty effective. I use double-sticky tape on the line holding the feeder, or on the poles holding the line holding the feeder. Most ants take one step and whoops! no more steps....works well with fire ants, for example. Give it a shot. (Besides, it might make it really easy to feed the flickers in your neighborhood, as they eat ants). Josh Hayes, Zoology Department, Miami University, Oxford OH 45056 voice: 513-529-1679 fax: 513-529-6900 jahayes@miamiu.bitnet, or jahayes@miamiu.acs.muohio.edu In the late Devouring Period, fish became obnoxious. Clamosaurs and Oysterettes appeared as appetizers.