-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
An Unusual Visitor To The Hummingbird Feeder (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter humminbird
- Start date
aveschapines
Encantada de las avecitas que veo a diario.
Lately I have noticed warblers (Yellow and Wilson's) hanging out near y hummingbird feeder, although I haven't seen them try to drink. My feeder seems to have enticed a single female Ruby-throated to say here instead of going on to lower elevations for the winter. She spends her days hunting insects and preening in a tree behing the house, and visiting the feeder on my front terrace. I can always fnd her withing a few minutes during the day. I will miss her when she goes back up north!
Helen
Helen
I've seen butterflies on one of the hummingbird feeders, but only once. (Usually they're on on the lantanas or citrus blossoms.) I don't remember which kind it was, but probably one of the swallowtails. The pics I have of it aren't on this computer, but when I find them (on one of the backup DVDs) I'll try to remember to post one for you.
Welcome, wellredd. I have never seen this happen! (Thank goodness!) The two "resident" Gila woodpeckers in my yard visit the hummer feeders at least once or twice a day, but since I have quite a few feeders, the hummingbirds just move over to a different feeder and there's never been any conflict.
These woodpeckers also like the orange halves that I put out for the verdins and share those without any problems -- so far.
Have you had slushy / frozen feeders the past couple of mornings?
Elk River Rancher
Casual Birder
Re the wren visiting the hummingbird feeder - I clean my hummingbird feeders once a week, and almost always find a tiny spider or two hiding under the perches - could the wren have been trying to get at an insect, rather than trying to get at the sugar water?
birdman2468
Member
Well, here in NY, to my sighting and knowledge, I have not ever had a wren, sparrow, or any other bird, other than the ruby throat hummingbird on my feeder. Maybe because the perch is not the right size for wrens, sparrows, or other birds? Anyone have knowledge of perches and which ones are the best size. I have heard that you should not have perches on your feeder if you are in cold weather climates? The birds could get hypothermia and die due to resting and drinking while sitting on the perch. Is that true?
It's been several years since I have had a feeder with perches. During the very cold weather the Anna's may perch in a tree 5 or 6 feet away between trips to the feeder. As another member has mentioned, they sometimes appear to sleep, but are ready to defend their territory at a moment's notice.
My sense is they are conserving energy the best way they can, flying only when necessary and otherwise fluffed up and hunkered down - whether on a perch or on the branch. I believe that actual torpor is regulated by the amount of daylight, hormone levels, etc. Back in early Dec when wind chill took us down to 6'F I was concerned that the light I rigged might prevent their going into torpor and thus freezing, but they went to a more sheltered location as usual - but were back much earlier in the am than usual.
The upside to a feeder with no perch is that the only competition comes from yellow jackets and their relatives.
My sense is they are conserving energy the best way they can, flying only when necessary and otherwise fluffed up and hunkered down - whether on a perch or on the branch. I believe that actual torpor is regulated by the amount of daylight, hormone levels, etc. Back in early Dec when wind chill took us down to 6'F I was concerned that the light I rigged might prevent their going into torpor and thus freezing, but they went to a more sheltered location as usual - but were back much earlier in the am than usual.
The upside to a feeder with no perch is that the only competition comes from yellow jackets and their relatives.
Last edited:
Some years ago I did find a dead Anna's hanging tightly to the deer fencing near a feeder hidden by fallen branches. It had been a prolonged period of very cold weather, and I could only speculate that he'd died of exposure. That was in the days before we began feeding them throughout the winter.
Similar threads
