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From: kelly@nntp-server.caltech.edu (Fishhead)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Hummingbird comments...
Message-ID: <1991Jan10.030743.1502@nntp-server.caltech.edu>
Date: 10 Jan 91 03:07:43 GMT
References: <1991Jan9.190750.594@morrow.stanford.edu>
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Lines: 55


[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