Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!aplcen!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!ucsd!ucbvax!ucdavis!csusac!unify!magpie!grp From: grp@unify.uucp (Greg Pasquariello) Newsgroups: rec.birds Subject: Re: Humming bird feeder and ... Message-ID: Date: 23 Jul 90 16:01:55 GMT References: <120206@pyramid.pyramid.com> <8162@scorn.sco.COM> Sender: news@Unify.Com (news admin) Reply-To: grp@unify.com Distribution: na Organization: Unify Corporation, Sacramento, California Lines: 34 In-Reply-To: donnak@sco.COM's message of 19 Jul 90 17:50:27 GMT 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