Tips from FeederWatchers
Feeding hummingbirds in freezing temperatures
Brandon Green, of Eugene, Oregon, talked to a local birder about keeping hummingbird feeders from freezing. The birder recommended a ThermaCare pad. Brandon sent us a picture of his prototype and wrote, “This is the first incarnation (I wrapped the next day’s feeder with two pads and a heavier layer of bubble wrap). It’s good for at least two hours at temperatures in the low 20’s, and then the uncovered bottom section will begin to freeze. (That’s enough time to get the hummers their “morning jolt” of energy. We usually repeat the process in the mid/late afternoon.)”
Calvin May, of Folsom, California, gets lots of hummingbirds in winter, and with temperatures often below freezing, he came up with a different strategy to keep the feeders above freezing (see images below). He wrote, “As you can see from the photos, I have four feeders, and I have placed heavy socks over them to keep them from freezing up.”
Tallying tip
“To keep track of my bird counts, I bought a dry erase board (with a magnet back so it can stay on the fridge). Using a permanent marker, I made a list of my most commonly sighted species–with a separate line for temperature and precipitation. The permanent marker will not erase. I keep my totals on the board with a dry erase marker. It’s super easy to wipe off and change numbers. All I have to do is take the board to the computer after each set of count days to enter my data.” –Suzanne Kozloskie, Long Branch, New Jersey
Feeder inches
John Wright wrote from Chesterfield, Missouri, to tell us how he distinguishes his Hairy Woodpeckers from his Downy Woodpeckers. “For the past 2 years, I have been trying to tell a Downy Woodpecker from a Hairy Woodpecker. They frequent a peanut feeder that is about fifty feet from my viewing point. Some birds seem larger than others, but I could never be sure–even when looking through binoculars. Finally I got smart. When I brought the feeder in to clean it, I wrapped two rings of bright green tape around it. One ring is exactly 6″ up from the bottom, and the second ring is 3″ above the first ring (see sketch). Now when the birds come to feed I can better estimate their size. For two years I have been reporting only Downys. Now, I know for sure there are also Hairys,” wrote John.
Feeding station designed for photos attracts rare bird
Cheryl Johnson of Campton, New Hampshire, decided to build a new feeding station to allow her to photograph birds in a natural-looking setting and was thrilled by some new visitors her creation attracted to her yard. Cheryl reported, “The feeder consists of chunks of logs, a section of hollow tree, dead branches, and a couple of evergreens, all tied around a pole set in the ground. I covered the whole thing with oak leaves, fir boughs, and branches from my rose bushes. I filled the crevices in the bark with melted suet and scattered seed all around. Within minutes of completing this project, two female cardinals arrived–a first for my yard!”
A short time later, much to Cheryl’s amazement, a Harris’s Sparrow (shown at left) showed up and posed in her new feeder “studio.” Harris’s Sparrows are rare in New Hampshire in winter. They normally winter in the central United States from Nebraska to Texas.
She doesn’t know when the sparrow arrived, but recalled, “I was playing with my new camera late in the afternoon on November 16 when I spotted a sparrow-like bird behind the evergreens that I couldn’t identify. When it finally came into view, there wasn’t much light left, but I managed to snap a blurry photo. I searched my field guides and tentatively identified it, then waited anxiously for the next morning. Not long after daybreak, the Harris’s returned and allowed me to get some nice shots. Not only that, but the bird was very cooperative for the dozens of other birders who came to see him.”