More Bird Information - 12/20/08

We had several more comment on how timely the hummingbird information was.

We received a phone call about a hummingbird who was at a bird feeder and fell over onto the ground. The person picked it up and put it in a box and brought it inside. After awhile it evidently warmed up and became active and they released it outside.

A similar type of story as the previous entry was received.

A very timely subject! I had a humming bird going into hypothermia today. Usually the ones that winter over, they tell you to not worry if they go stiff on a branch, it is normal and often they thaw out and go on their way. This was different, I had one guy going to sleep on the feeder, fluffed out and not moving. I actually went out and picked him off the feeder with my hand, and warmed the little guy up. I put him on the porch with the fushia, we have it behind some plastic (it seems to make it through the cold that way) and the little guy then flew on out into the open air. Within the hour he was back on the feeder, again motionless. As I watched, a bigger one literally knocked him off the perch, and he fell to the ground. I went out to check, and he was sitting in the snow, addled.

He's now in my room, I'm letting him fly around in here, and hung a feeder just for him from my overhead lamp. Had to put him in a cage as the sun went down, as he fell to the floor and was hiding, I was afraid I'd squish him. He seems to be a very young naive bird, and when the snow melts, I'll try putting him back out again. I hate to interfer with Nature, but a cat would have had him anyway.

I brought my feeder in twice today, and set it near a heating vent, it melted in a half hour, and out it went again. It's my understanding that hummers also eat bugs, so the feeders are not their only source of food.

We had a report of a number of different kinds of birds at a bird feeder today.

Birds at my feeders today (black sunflower seed and suet):

• Varied thrushes
  
• Mourning doves
  
• Pileated woodpeckers
  
• Oregon juncoes
  
• Red breasted nuthatches
  
• Chestnut backed chickadees
  
• Black capped chickadees
  
• Stellars jay
  
• Downy woodpecker
  
• Red shaftted flicker
  
• Song sparrow
  
• Song sparrow
  
• Hairy woodpecker
  
• Rufous sided towhees

We inquired about the Audubon's Christmas bird count and found it was postponed today because of the poor road conditions due to inclement weather until January 4, 2009. If anyone wants to participate they should contact Vic Ulsh at 479-6900.

Jim Aho