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UPDATE ON THE AVIAN FLU IN GEORGIA
Several weeks ago, I posted a blog regarding the presence of avian flu in Georgia and its possible impact on the birds that visit our feeders. At that time, I promised to provide you with any new information that becomes available. A May 17 news release issued by the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division updated the status of the disease in Georgia.
According to the Division’s wildlife biologists, data regarding the incidence of avian flu suggests that the vast majority of Georgia’s songbirds are not at risk of catching the dreaded disease. The songbirds that are at the highest risk are those living near domestic poultry flocks that have become infected with the disease. However, the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division emphasizes that the only birds share an elevated risk of catching the disease are scavengers such as vultures and crow.
Fortunately, to date, avian flu has not been detected in any domestic poultry flocks in Georgia.
The short list of birds that have been infected by the disease in the Peach State is restricted to waterfowl and eagles.
For those of us that feed birds in our yards, the bottom line is we can continue to feed birds at our feeders without the fear that our efforts are helping spread the disease.
However, Wildlife Biologist Todd Schneider emphasizes that feeders and feeding areas should be kept as clean as possible. This will ensure our feathered friends will not suffer from house finch disease, or one of a host of other fatal or debilitating diseases spread by organisms that thrive on wet, and moldy seeds.
AVIAN FLUE AND BIRD FEEDING IN GEORGIA
Recent reports that a new virulent strain of avian influenza (HPAI) has been found in wild birds in Georgia and more than 29 other states have raised concerns that feeding backyard birds might play a role in the spread of this deadly disease in the Peach State.
To date, the only species affected by the disease in Georgia have been lesser scaup, gadwall, and bald eagle. However, avian flu has been detected in at least 100 species of wild birds and other animals.
Avian influenza also infects chickens, wild and domestic waterfowl (ducks, geese and swans), quail, pheasants, and other domestic birds,
The disease is spread in the droppings and nasal secretions of infected birds. It has also been reported healthy birds can also catch the disease when they walk across surfaces contaminated by infected birds.
While it is possible for wild birds to contract the disease form domestic poultry, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has found that, in every case they have investigated this year, domestic flocks were infected by wild birds.
Fortunately, as of March 30, no commercial or backyard flocks of poultry have been infected in Georgia. However, such is not the case in 23 other states. Most of these outbreaks have occurred in the Midwest and East. This has resulted in the slaughter of 27 million chickens.
If you enjoy feeding birds in your yard, you are probably wondering if you should cease feeding bird in your backyard until the disease subsided. So far, the Georgia Wildlife Conservation Section has not recommended that people stop birds in their yards.
However, the Georgia Wildlife Conservation Section urges the public to report dead or sick eagles to their office in Forsyth (478-994-1438). (Three bald eagles were found killed by the disease along the Georgia Coast.)
In comparison, the USDA suggests that homeowners can continue feeding birds unless they keep domestic birds. On the other hand, extension specialists at Cornell University recommend that the public cease feeding “until the threat of the disease has passed.”
I will let you know if the outbreak becomes more serious in Georgia and if Georgia officials issue any recommendations concerning feeding wild birds. Those bloggers that live in other states should check with their state wildlife agencies to see if they recommend that feeding birds be discontinued in their states.
DOES RAIN DILUTE NECTAR IN HUMMINGBIRD FEEDERS?
Recently severe weather has been sweeping across the Peach State dropping heavy rain in our backyards. The last front that passed over my home dropped almost three inches of rain in just a few hours. When such an event occurs, you cannot help but wonder if heavy rain dilutes the sugar water in our hummingbird feeders.
Although many hummingbird fanciers are convinced that heavy rainfall can dilute the concentration of sugar in a feeder, I do not know of any studies that corroborate this claim. However, enough people believe this to be the case that some manufacturers of hummingbird feeders offer feeders that are less susceptible to rain flowing into the food reservoirs on their feeders. In an effort to hinder rain draining through feeding portals, some hummingbird fans place a plastic dome over their feeders. Others simply shroud their feeders with plastic plates. Others address the problem by purchasing feeders featuring very small feeding portals. If water pouring into a feeder is a problem, it makes sense to use feeders equipped with small feeding ports.
If you find that hummingbird use of your feeder drops off significantly after heavy rain, this could be an indication that your hummer food is diluted. It has been shown that when given a choice hummingbirds prefer flowers that produce nectar with the a high sugar content. Since that is the case, it is understandable that they would also prefer hummingbird food with at least a 25 percent concentration of sugar.
The best advice I can offer is until we know for sure if rainfall can dilute hummingbird food, if feel your food is diluted, go ahead and replace it.
HOMEGROWN BUTTERFLY FEEDER
Recently, a hard freeze brought an abrupt end to the growing season of many of our nectar plants. The next morning when my wife and I walked outside and looked around the yard, it was not a pretty sight. Mexican sunflower, cosmos and other plants were drooping and their flowers withered. It was obvious that the butterflies that were still flying about our yard were in for some hard times.
Later in the morning when we noticed a cloudless sulphur was trying to nectar at a dead Mexican sunflower blossom, we decided try to come to the aid this and any other hardy survivor of the freeze. Since we have not enjoyed great success attracting butterflies to commercial butterfly feeders, we decided to set out a couple of homegrown butterfly feeders.
We immediately moved a pot containing several pineapple sage plants in full bloom to a spot near the dead Mexican sunflowers. Talk about immediate gratification–within minutes a cloudless sulphur appeared and began nectaring on the pineapple sages’ long, scarlet blossoms. 
Encouraged by our success we later positioned a couple of containers containing scarlet sage to spots around the yard. Since we have not experienced another frost since that time, we have enjoyed watching cloudless sulphurs and gulf fritillaries visiting our homegrown feeders every day.
Our ability to take this action was due to the fact that we grow a number of nectar plants in large containers. Once we heard of the impending, hard freeze we moved pots containing pineapple and scarlet sage either up against the side of the house or inside our sunroom.
We realize that providing food for a handful of butterflies after a frost killed most of their food supply means little to the populations of gulf fritillaries and cloudless sulphurs. However, it means a lot to handful of butterflies that are benefitting from our efforts. In addition, it has made us feel good.
MY FIRST WINTER BIRD OF THE FALL–A RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET
For weeks, I have been eagerly awaiting the appearance of my first winter bird of the fall. By that, I mean the migratory birds that winter in my backyard typically arrive well before winter actually begins. Well, my wait is finally over as this week I spotted a ruby-crowned kinglet eating bird butter laced with peanuts.
I find it interesting that, although the ruby-crowned kinglet is one of the last insectivorous birds to leave its northern breeding grounds, it was the first to arrive in my yard located in Middle Georgia. I cannot help but wonder if the bird I saw will indeed winter here, or, was a migrant using my yard as a stopover to refuel before moving on southward to its winter home is south Georgia or Florida.
Since I never see more than one ruby-crowned kinglet at a time, I would like to know if only one of these tiny passerines establishes a territory in my yard each winter. Since there is evidence that these small birds set up winter territories, perhaps more kinglets actually inhabit my three acres of land than I realize. If such is the case, it could be possible that I host more than one ruby-crowned kinglet and the only one I see is the bird that claims the portion of the yard where my feeders are located.
Overwhelmingly, when a ruby-crowned kinglet makes an appearance in my bird feeding area it dines on bird butter. However, in one instance, I watched a kinglet sifting through white millet offered in a small feeder.
If you would like to attempt to attract a ruby-crowned kinglet to your yard this winter, make sure suet or bird butter are on the menu of your backyard bird cafe. Other foods known attract ruby-crowned kinglets are peanut butter, mixed seed, finely cracked nuts, peanut hearts, cornbread, and doughnuts. They will even visit hummingbird feeders from time to time.
I have never seen a ruby-crowned kinglet drink at my birdbath. However, there are numerous reports of them doing so.
If you are successful in attracting a ruby-crowned kinglet to your yard for the first time, you will quickly learn they are a joy to watch. They are full of energy and are constantly on the move. Some might even say they get tired just seeing them constantly flit about in search of food.
DO HUMMINGBIRDS SEEM TO BE LEAVING EARLY THIS YEAR?
It appears that hummingbirds are leaving my yard early this year.
Throughout most of August, my wife and I made lots of hummingbird food. During these hot days of August, we were preparing and feeding the birds 20-25 cups of nectar every day or two. This was because we were feeding more hummingbirds than during any previous August. Based on the maximum numbers of birds we were seeing at any given time, I calculated that we were feeding 100 or more hummers daily.
These numbers remained steady until September 4 when the nectar consumption dropped significantly. Suddenly we were feeding the birds 20-25 cups of nectar every three to four days. This was surprising because, in a normal year, we don’t see a significant decline in hummingbird numbers that early in the month.
On September 12, I was surprised to see an adult male ruby-throated hummingbird dining at our feeders. The bird also returned the next day. While seeing an adult male that late in the summer was big news, what was even bigger news was the male was one of only three hummingbirds using our feeders daily.
Since then, the male has moved on, however, we are still feeding only two or three hummingbirds. This is in spite of the fact that we are still providing the little migrants with plenty of sugar water and flowerbeds and containers are awash with the blooms of a number of nectar plants.
The seemingly early departure of the birds has reinforced my realization that, in spite of studying these magical birds for decades, there is so much I still do not know about them.
I sure would like to know whether you have noticed that rubythroats seemingly left your yard early this year also. It would help me understand if this is a local or widespread phenomenon.
SAYING GOOD-BYE FOR ANOTHER YEAR
Currently our backyards are abuzz with hummingbirds. The birds we are now seeing are a combination of ruby-throated hummingbirds that have already begun their migration and local birds that are preparing to embark on their fall migration.
The first birds to leave are the adult males. Some males that that breed north of Georgia actually begin flying south during the first couple of weeks in July. In comparison, males that spent the spring and summer in Georgia often do not commence their migration until late July or early August. However, it is still possible to see a few males at our feeders right now.
Adult females migrate next. The vast majority of the birds that are now gorging themselves on the nectar provided by our flowers such as scarlet sage and feeders are a combination of adult females, immature females, and immature males. As I have discussed in former blogs (check the archive), it is easy to tell the immature males from the females. However, it is often next to impossible to distinguish an adult female from a female hatched this year from afar. In fact, the only sure way to do this is capture them and closely examine their bills. However, in some cases, at this time of the year adult females are often larger than immature females.
While the migration of the adult females is already underway, some will be feeding in our yards for a few more weeks.
The last to leave are immature hummers. They will be devouring as much nectar as they can consume for a few more weeks. Ideally, an immature that weighed only about three grams a few weeks ago will try to store enough fuel (fat) to bring its weight up to around five grams before leaving.
My wife and I have enjoyed feeding more hummingbirds this year than ever before. We have been feeding them around twenty cups of nectar a day for weeks. In addition, we have thoroughly enjoyed watching the birds visiting scarlet sage, zinnias, Turk’s cap, trumpet creeper, and a host of other plants. We have also seen the birds apparently gleaning tiny insects and spiders from foliage and flowers that do not produce an abundance of nectar. We realize the protein these small animals provide is an essential part of the hummingbird’s diet.
Much to our chagrin hummingbird numbers have dropped off in recent days. We know that they have to leave, but that we also realize we will miss them. As such, even though we are still hosting lots of hummingbirds, we are already looking forward to their return next spring.
If you are an avid fan of rubythroats, I am sure you understand why we feel this way.
A SIMPLE TIP THAT WILL HELP AVOID BEES AT HUMMER FEEDERS
There are a number tactics folks employ to deter bees, yellow jackets, and wasps from their feeders. Here is one you may not have considered: avoid using feeders decorated with yellow features.
Most often, yellow is used to decorate the artificial flowers surrounding feeding portals. I am not sure why manufacturers go to so much trouble to include yellow in the color scheme of a feeder. Perhaps they feel yellow flowers look more realistic, or attractive. Who knows? One thing we do know is hummingbirds are attracted to the color red found on such places as the feeder base and top. As such, using yellow on a feeder does not enhance the chances that hummingbirds will use it.
When yellow is used to decorate a feeder, it simply makes the feeder more appealing to bees, yellow jackets, and wasps. The reason for this is honeybees, wasps, and yellow jackets are attracted to the color yellow. Consequently, in theory, feeders that do not feature the color yellow should not be visited by these insects as often as feeders without the bright color.
However, if red feeders are coated with sugar water that has sloshed out of feeder portals, squadrons of these stinging insects will most assuredly show up. In addition, these flying insects are capable of finding a source of food regardless of whether it has any yellow on it or not. I know this is true as just last week I was stung by a yellow jacket as I tried to refill one of my red feeders.
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Using feeders without yellow will not solve the problem of hummingbirds having to share nectar with hornets, honeybees, and yellow jackets. However, it just might help alleviate the problem.
DO AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES PREFER UPSIDE DOWN FEEDERS?
One of the benefits of feeding birds during the summer is that it enhances our chances of seeing male American goldfinches decked out in their striking black and yellow breeding plumage. If you feed these beautiful birds at this time of the year, do you offer them nyger (thistle) seeds in a traditional upright feeder or one that requires them to feed while hanging upside down?
Over the years, I have fed nyger seeds to goldfinches in feeders that require them to display their considerable acrobatic skills to pluck the seeds from the feeders by clinging to the feeders above the feeding portals. More frequently, however, I employ feeders that allow them to feed while they are perched upright. American goldfinches have used both feeder designs.
However, I have often wondered whether American goldfinches prefer feeding from one type of feeder or the other. Apparently, others think about such issues too since research has focused on this very subject. According to the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, these studies have found that, when given a choice they prefer to feed while standing upright.
