A Lady Dines on the Deck

I have planted many plants that hummingbirds and other pollinators love, including monarda (bee balm), which are blooming now, and I also put a feeder out for them. There are two birds who visit it regularly, one male and one female.

I had the feeder hanging in the meadow for the first part of summer. But it got drained several times, and knocked over. So I began moving it up onto the deck at dusk. Then, something even got it there: drained the feeder, and murdered a perfectly innocent squirrel.

In examining the logistics of the last event, I realized that I had had the feeder hanging close to a tree, and just above a railing. A creature could have used tree or railing to access the feeder. So knowing that, I adjusted.

I now have the feeder hanging on the deck, from the very middle of the clothes line, where it cannot be accessed easily. Both little birds found it, and now I just leave it there all the time. I don't have to go out and move it at twilight.

So now we have a perfect view, from our kitchen table, of the feeder and the birds. And we can sit there, quite easily, and watch them. On this day, I did so, with camera. And so here is a photo of our female hummingbird, dining on a freshly made batch of sugar water (4:1 ratio of water to sugar; no red dye, please).

I don't know if you are aware of this, but there is a terrible bird disease that is affecting our songbirds in the eastern part of the U.S. Here is a link to an article that talks about it. The birds most at risk seem to be common grackles, blue jays, American robins, and European starlings. The birds become lethargic, are unable to keep their balance, and are blinded by patches of ooze over their eyes.

The disease was first recognized in Washington, D.C., but there have been cases of it as far west as Indiana and Kentucky, and as far north as (so far just eastern) Pennsylvania. Experts have been recommending that people in affected states take their bird feeders down, and remove things like watering areas where birds may congregate.

Interestingly enough, my husband took our bird feeders down several weeks ago. All of the nests in the yard seemed to be finished up, many of the birds had moved on, and all we had left at the feeders were a family of very brash brown thrashers that dominated every other bird. There had also been reports of bears in our neighborhood, ravaging feeders and knocking them down. So our regular bird feeders are already down.

Of course, I was concerned about our hummingbirds. So here is an update on that. I recently received an email from our local animal rescue organization, addressing exactly the issue of hummingbirds, the bird disease, and feeders. They had consulted with an expert bird person at U Penn, who said that so far, hummingbirds do not appear to be involved in this bird mortality event. But that taking the feeders down would be something you might still do, out of an abundance of caution.

Another choice would be to clean and change the feeders VERY often, such as daily or every few days. In the high heat of summer, such a thing would be advised, anyway, as it's quite easy for feeders to grow mold spores that are very bad for hummingbirds.

So I have made the informed choice to keep the feeder up, and to clean and change it religiously. The two birds who are here are the same two birds I've seen all summer long, and they appear to be healthy, alert, well balanced, and not visually impaired.

So that's the long story about the hummingbirds, the feeder, and the new and very scary songbird mortality event. If you live in the eastern U.S., in the area that is mentioned, PLEASE check with your local bird experts and wildlife experts, so you can be sure that you are acting in the best interests of our beloved birds. (Thank you for reading!)

Now, it's time to pick the song to go along with this image. As I watch this hummingbird feast, I somehow hear in my head Billy Idol singing "More, more, more!!!" So the song choice is Rebel Yell. Here is the original Billy Idol video. Here is a second version featuring Billy Idol and Miley Cyrus. Enjoy!

Oh, and P.S. The deck area is very active right now. Last summer, during the hottest days of July, a doe came and hung out under our deck every day. Yes, she spent every day, ALL DAY, under there, in the cool shade. I am here to report that the hot days are here again, off and on, and that the deer is BACK under the deck! And here is a recent news update, fresh off the presses: as of this morning, she was seen urging her little fawn to join her under the deck for the day! (Husband: "If it's going to be like this, I think we're going to have to discuss charging them RENT!")  ;-)