Message boards :
Cafe SETI :
Raccoon Update XXIII - All Are Welcome In The Critter Cafe
Message board moderation
Previous · 1 . . . 37 · 38 · 39 · 40 · 41 · 42 · 43 . . . 57 · Next
Author | Message |
---|---|
Gordon Lowe Send message Joined: 5 Nov 00 Posts: 12094 Credit: 6,317,865 RAC: 0 |
Have you ever tryed this up close and personal method of feeding hummingbirds? Wow, that was weird. Cool. But weird. The mind is a weird and mysterious place |
Suzie-Q Send message Joined: 9 Mar 07 Posts: 3327 Credit: 4,746,812 RAC: 1 |
Do you all feed the birds? When I was a kid, I did it, but all we had were Cardinals, sparrows, and a few bluejays. I'm thinking about trying to set up a hummingbird feeder. We just watched a show about hummingbirds and they are pretty fascinating. You really don't need to boil the water. Just get it warm enough to melt the sugar. The hummers have bacteria on their bills and tongues that will get into the feeder the first time it's used, so boiling the water to reduce bacteria is unnecessary. One part cane sugar to four parts water; eg. one cup of sugar added to four cups of warm/hot water. Heat the water before adding the sugar. If you heat the two together, the ratio changes because some of the water evaporates. Let it cool. Fill your feeder. What you don't use you can store in your refrigerator for up to two weeks. There is enough red on a hummingbird feeder to attract the birds. They can see it from a great distance. No, you don't need to add protein to the food. The bugs are enough. Do not buy the hummingbird nectar you see in stores. It's a huge waste of money. Here's a great hummingbird website. ~Sue~ |
Gordon Lowe Send message Joined: 5 Nov 00 Posts: 12094 Credit: 6,317,865 RAC: 0 |
Thanks, Sue. That was very informative. Should I wait until Spring to get started, or will we have customers in the winter, here in Kentucky? The mind is a weird and mysterious place |
Gordon Lowe Send message Joined: 5 Nov 00 Posts: 12094 Credit: 6,317,865 RAC: 0 |
Thanks, Sue. That was very informative. Should I wait until Spring to get started, or will we have customers in the winter, here in Kentucky? I just delved into the weblink you provided and got my answer, but I wonder how far south the hummers go? Do you think they leave the country and go to Cuba? ;~) The mind is a weird and mysterious place |
Suzie-Q Send message Joined: 9 Mar 07 Posts: 3327 Credit: 4,746,812 RAC: 1 |
Thanks, Sue. That was very informative. Should I wait until Spring to get started, or will we have customers in the winter, here in Kentucky? If you go to the website you'll see migration maps for the ruby throated hummer, which is what you'll get in your area. See if you can find your location on this year's map. You'll see a date of the first reported sighting. Put your feeders out a week or two before that date. 2016 Migration Map I forgot to say: The hummers are all gone by now. If you have any over-winter hummers, it will be very, very odd. It's not unheard of, but it's very rare. Very, very rare. ~Sue~ |
Gordon Lowe Send message Joined: 5 Nov 00 Posts: 12094 Credit: 6,317,865 RAC: 0 |
Thanks, Sue. That was very informative. Should I wait until Spring to get started, or will we have customers in the winter, here in Kentucky? Ah... I see they migrate as far south as Central America! Wow. The mind is a weird and mysterious place |
Dimly Lit Lightbulb 😀 Send message Joined: 30 Aug 08 Posts: 15399 Credit: 7,423,413 RAC: 1 |
|
Suzie-Q Send message Joined: 9 Mar 07 Posts: 3327 Credit: 4,746,812 RAC: 1 |
I edited my last two posts, so you might want to read them again to make sure you saw the whole thing. ~Sue~ |
Suzie-Q Send message Joined: 9 Mar 07 Posts: 3327 Credit: 4,746,812 RAC: 1 |
Thanks, Sue. That was very informative. Should I wait until Spring to get started, or will we have customers in the winter, here in Kentucky? They go to South America. I don't think they stay in Cuba, but I do think Cuba has its own hummers. I'm not sure. It's been awhile since I looked that up. Edit: Okay, Central America. ~Sue~ |
Suzie-Q Send message Joined: 9 Mar 07 Posts: 3327 Credit: 4,746,812 RAC: 1 |
If you want a truly bee-free hummer feeder, look into the Hummzinger brand. I've had a lot of luck with one called Best One hummingbird feeder. Perky Pet feeders and those like them leak because of the design. Even my Best One would attract bees if the hummers didn't use it frequently. The nectar expands in the daytime, reduces at night, and expands again the next day, so you'll have a mess and the bees will love it! Of course, there's nothing wrong with feeding bees. I do that in the winter. ~Sue~ |
Suzie-Q Send message Joined: 9 Mar 07 Posts: 3327 Credit: 4,746,812 RAC: 1 |
The prices I'm seeing for the Best One feeder online are outrageous. I get mine at the local HEB grocery store for about $7. And you should be able to find the Hummzingers at any store that sells bird feeding supplies. They'll be cheaper, as well. ~Sue~ |
Suzie-Q Send message Joined: 9 Mar 07 Posts: 3327 Credit: 4,746,812 RAC: 1 |
Can you tell that I'm really into feeding the hummers?! ~Sue~ |
Suzie-Q Send message Joined: 9 Mar 07 Posts: 3327 Credit: 4,746,812 RAC: 1 |
~Sue~ |
Suzie-Q Send message Joined: 9 Mar 07 Posts: 3327 Credit: 4,746,812 RAC: 1 |
|
rob smith Send message Joined: 7 Mar 03 Posts: 22186 Credit: 416,307,556 RAC: 380 |
That little fellow should go to the top of the class :-) Bob Smith Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society) Somewhere in the (un)known Universe? |
celttooth Send message Joined: 21 Nov 99 Posts: 26503 Credit: 28,583,098 RAC: 0 |
The difference between your feeder and mine is that yours has birds at it. We had two visits, (Known.) and many wasps, bumble bees, and honey bees, (Did not mind that.) There was a little trap to catch ants at the top of the feeder. edit: You had to work at the trap, or the ants would build an ant bridge to the goodies... |
Suzie-Q Send message Joined: 9 Mar 07 Posts: 3327 Credit: 4,746,812 RAC: 1 |
The difference between your feeder and mine is Clever little creatures. An ant trap is always a good idea. ~Sue~ |
zoom3+1=4 Send message Joined: 30 Nov 03 Posts: 65736 Credit: 55,293,173 RAC: 49 |
Isn't the den the garage containing all the black widow spiders? Only a room? I've got a whole mobilehome, and it's paid for in full, I'm the sole owner(100%) according to the San Bernardino County Tax Collector, I am also due a refund on My property taxes going back to 2014 and a new tax bill. The refund will be between $250.00 and $312.50, so instead of being worth $27,000.00($205.30yr) for property tax purposes, the mobilehome is now worth $14,500.00($80.30yr), a reduction of $12,500.00, since mobilehomes never go up in value, when does this refund and bill get here? I don't know, but I am mostly happy, but not for this, moving My mobilehome elsewhere will help. :) I was also recently approved for a lifeline account for My cell phone provider(Virgin Mobile), which will save Me $30.99 a month, I'm also applying for a Medical Baseline reduction in My Gas and Elec bills of another 20% off My bills this Monday or about $20-$25 a month that I don't have to spend on Energy bills. So yes, lots of good news for Me. Next month the central gas furnace is getting repaired, hopefully the repairs won't cost more than $117, I think I can support up to about $175, I'd like to get an oil change for My car, which needs one. The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's |
Dimly Lit Lightbulb 😀 Send message Joined: 30 Aug 08 Posts: 15399 Credit: 7,423,413 RAC: 1 |
Member of the People Encouraging Niceness In Society club. |
Gordon Lowe Send message Joined: 5 Nov 00 Posts: 12094 Credit: 6,317,865 RAC: 0 |
Why is that hummingbird doing that? The mind is a weird and mysterious place |
©2024 University of California
SETI@home and Astropulse are funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, NASA, and donations from SETI@home volunteers. AstroPulse is funded in part by the NSF through grant AST-0307956.