Categories
Hummingbird Feeders

Dripping or Leaking Hummingbird Feeders

Many people have a problem with there feeders dripping or leaking. This is a very common occurrence, and may be due to the design of your feeder or environmental conditions. If you are using what is commonly known as an inverted bottle feeder, the problem is caused when the air in the bottle expands due to rising temperatures and the fluid below then is pushed out. Many of the newer feeder designs are striving to address this issue. Also, there are manufactures out there who are offering drip-proof feeders. Saucer-type feeders generally have far less problems with dripping then other types of feeders. This is due to the fact that the fluid in these types of feeders is below the feeder wholes.
 
There is no perfect solution as to how to prevent hummingbird feeders from leaking or dripping – feeders will drip occasionally. However, there are several things that can be done to minimize the amount of leaking or dripping that occurs, so that you can truly enjoy your feeder.
 
1. Always fill the feeder completely full with cool nectar. The stopper should be inserted and the feeder quickly inverted to avoid any air entering the feeder. Tube feeders operate on a vacuum principle, and the feeder must be filled completely full in order for the vacuum to form!
 
2. Only hang your feeder in shade or partial shade. The cooler the feeder, the less likely it is to drip.
 
3. Make sure to keep the feeder very clean by regularly cleaning the vessel with hot water and a bottle brush. Soap should not be used during cleaning, because its residue may cause your feeder to drip. As an alternative, try periodically using a vinegar rinse to thoroughly clean your feeder and then rinse well with hot water.
 
4. As a last resort, the stopper assembly can be placed in very hot water to soften the tube. You can bend it slightly to increase the angle. This will stop dripping, but might make it more difficult for nectar to come down the tube.
 
5. If the dripping of this type of feeder is too much for you, then try a top-feeding hummingbird feeder instead.
 
 
Besides the suggestions listed above, it is best to hang your feeders out of the wind and in shady areas. Windy conditions can cause the solution in the feeder to slosh out of it. The sunlight’s ultraviolet rays can also cause damage to the materials of which the feeder is made and this could also cause your hummingbird feeder to drip or leak.
 

The Amazing Hummingbird Nest

When deciding where to build her nest there are two important factors that the female will keep in mind: temperature and protection from the elements. The nest site must be located in a place where temperatures will stay below 96 degrees F, or the embryos will be fried. This is why higher altitudes see more hummingbirds nesting in their areas. Many hummingbird nests are also built near bodies of water. Wind can be particularly harmful to a hummingbird, so no matter what climate a hummingbird chooses to settle in, the mother must choose a location safe from the harmful effects of high winds. If a high gust of wind causes the eggs roll out of the nest, they are likely to break or be eaten.
 
Generally speaking, it usually takes the female hummingbird a little less than a week to construct her nest. The birds will make well over 100 trips per day, on average, working for about 4 hours. The foundation of the nest is made of spider webs, because of their sticky nature. Next a layer of soft materials are added such as moss or leaf fibers. These layers are used to shape the nest. After the basic mold of the nest is made, then more spider webs are brought in. Then a layer of camouflage is brought in. This layer will consist of things such as seeds and small twigs. The camouflage is very unique. It is darker on shaded parts of the nest and lighter where it is sunnier, walls are thicker on the windier side and, for added comfort, and the inside of the nest is shaped by the mother’s own body.
 
Hummingbird nest are very small and delicate, but they are built in such a way to try and ensure the protection of the birds. It isn’t often that most people have the opportunity to view a hummingbird nest firsthand, so I hope that this post offers you some interesting insight about hummingbird nests.
Categories
Hummingbird Videos

Making Your Own Hummingbird Nectar

 This video shows how to make your own hummingbird nectar,  It tells you what to do as well as what not to do when making your own nectar.  With the simple information contained in this video, you will never again have to buy hummingbird nectar from a store again.

Categories
Dear Mom

Nothing Like a Mother’s Love

Moms just somehow seem to have the power to make everything right in their children’s world. Even if as an adult we realize that isn’t reality, there are still times when there is nothing like a mother’s love to make everything seem alright once again. I wish my mom could do so for me today. I’m 42 years old and my mom past away 18 months ago, but yet I would give anything in the world to be able to pick up the phone and hear my mom’s voice. I’m not sure why today I feel this overwhelming sense of loss and loneliness, but I just know that I do.
 
Mom if you were here I know you would talk to me or give me a hug and reassure me that everything will get better. It just seems that whatever I try to do today doesn’t turn out right no matter what it is that I’m attempting to accomplish. I’m feeling very frustrated, stressed out and overwhelmed. What I wouldn’t give for one of those hugs today. No one loves like a mother does.
 
I miss you every single day mom, but there are just some days, like today, that that sense of loss is overpowering. Then I just have to see the pretty flowers of spring or a hummingbird and I’m reminded that you are still with me in spirit and that you will always be so. Thanks mom for all the love you gave me in my life. Know that you were, and still are, a great mom. I will forever carry your love and memories of you inside my heart. No one will ever take your place in my life. Like I said earlier, no one loves like a mother does, so don’t ever take it for granted.
Categories
Hummingbirds

Do Hummingbirds Sleep?

It never ceases to amaze me the shear fascination people have with hummingbirds.I am no different then anyone else in this regard. Since I have been researching and writing about hummingbirds, my friends have asked me some very interesting questions about hummingbirds. This blog post is the result of one such question. My friend wanted to know if hummingbirds sleep.

Yes, hummingbirds do sleep. They do so at night by entering into a state known as torpor, which is a state similar to hibernation. Hummingbirds must enter this state to ensure that the birds won’t actually starve to death before down. Torpor is a type of deep sleep where an animal lowers its hart and metabolic rate. In a state of torpor the hummingbird lowers its metabolic rate by as much as 95%. A torpid hummingbird consumes up to 50 times less energy than when awake. The lowered metabolic rate also causes a cooled body temperature. A hummingbird’s night time body temperature is maintained at a level which is barely sufficient to maintain life. This level is known as their set point and it is far below the normal daytime body temperature of 104 degrees F or 40 degrees C known for other birds of similar size.

There are many reasons why the hummingbird must enter into a state of torpor. Hummingbirds are among the smallest of all warm-blooded animals, and they also lack the insulating downy feathers that are typical for many other bird species. Due to their small body size and lack of insulation, hummingbirds rapidly lose body heat to their surroundings. Even sleeping hummingbirds have huge metabolic demands that must be met in order for them to simply survive the night when they cannot forage. By entering into a state of torpor, a hummingbird is able to save enough energy to survive cold nights by lowering their internal thermostat.

There are several types of torpor. The various types of torpor are classified mostly by duration and season. If the state of torpor takes place over a long period of time during the winter, it is known as hibernation. However, unlike hibernation, hummingbird torpor can occur on any night of the year so it is referred to as daily torpor or noctivation.

Hummingbirds are not the only birds known to enter into a state of torpor. Other birds that are known to enter into a state of torpor include swallows and swifts. Scientists think that most small birds living in cold regions, such as chickadees, rely on torpor to survive long cold nights. Rodents, bats and other small mammals typically show some form of regulated hypothermia during cold weather, and these animals can only rely upon daily torpor during the winter months when they are not breeding. For hummingbirds, noctivation is possible on any night of the year.

The ability of the hummingbird to sleep by entering into the state of torpor literally saves the birds life. The ability to enter into a state of torpor will literally prevent it from starving to death before dawn. Isn’t it amazing how nature provides each species of animal the ability to help insure its own survival?