birdbaths and hummingbird feeders frozen this morning

[JayDee]

Two Scientific Questions:

1/4 Cup sugar in 1 cup water would lower the freezing point of the solution (the colligative effect). However, we report that our feeder’s freeze at 25 deg F. I guess it must be mol’s at work since a 1/4 C of sugar is more like 1/5th of a Cup when you consider the porosity of dried sugar.

–

Someone said that hummers don’t feed at night. OK: is that because the night is dark or cold? If I turn on my deck light would that entice them to feed at night? My deck light might irritate the neighbors, but it could help the little birds live through these cold nights.

Share This

[2krazy4words]

they sleep at night to conserve energy

http://www.worldofhummingbirds.com/sleep.php

Share This

[Walker]

They will survive. These birds have been in the Nw longer than humans, and have always found a way to survive.

http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2006/04/09/hummingbirds-and-torpor/

Want to be useful? Figure out a way to keep your fellow humans that must spend the night out doors fed and warm. Or maybe we should start a spay a neuter campaign to keep the hummer population in check.

Share This

[JanS]

Walker..here’s another thread for ya…

https://westseattleblog.com/forum/topic/if-you-see-someone-who-needs-help-getting-in-out-of-the-cold

Share This

[JoB]

Walker..

oh my ;->

people might think you are moralizing…

and we know what that leads to ;-> ;->

hand and foot warmers work for people too

it’s why i carry them with me

in this weather they produce smiles faster than hershey’s kisses

Share This

[Born on Alki]

Best to simply take them inside at night, and do not increase the sugar mixture for freezing temperatures. We mix at a three to one mixture year round. I brought the feeders out this morning and was greeted by three hummers on the feeder before I could even hang it up! Way too cool.

Share This

[JoB]

i attached a warmer to mine this morning and the hummers have been entertaining hubby all morning

the bird feeders are busy too

when i took the feeder out this morning i thought it wasn’t all that cold.. then i checked the temp on the gauge on the patio .. it read 18

it’s a dry cold… ;->

Share This

[seaopgal]

Bucky takes warming bird feeders to the logical (in his mind) conclusion in today’s Get Fuzzy:

http://www.uclick.com/client/sea/gz/

(Strangely enough, it also sort of fits with the other current hot thread …)

Share This

[Gina]

Going to be a run on new bird bath basins after the thaw.

Share This

[JoB]

mine are all frozen..

and the handwarmer didn’t keep water clear :(

i have been doing what i can when i can.

but it won’t be much use until hopefully the sun shines and it warms up again

the gauge on the patio is reading 20 :(

Share This

[TanDL]

I’ve been bringing my feeder in at night and putting it out at daybreak. There are two hummers that fly around my head chirping when I put it out in the mornings. Don’t know if they are happy to see me or mad at me for taking their “big flower” away at night. :) But, they always drink deeply in the mornings, try to chase each other away two or three times and then eventually hang out nearby to keep an eye on their food source. They are quite entertaining.

Share This

[JoB]

i poured hot water over the ice in the birdbaths this morning and was rewarded with a chorus of birdsong

Share This

[ellenater]

Having not read the links… is it okay if it’s slushy but drinkable. I have TONS of hummingbirds and they get really pissed off if I even attempt to move my feeder. It’s hilarious. My feeder is a vintage glass bottle with a copper bottom and it never gets completely frozen, just super cold.

rw, what a great story!

Share This

[JoB]

that’s a good question

we let ours get slushy last night i think

Share This

[ellenater]

How many birds do you have? Are they all Anna’s? It seems like I have tons and tons of birds and they are sucking it dry pretty fast. It’s hard to tell, with the females.

Share This

[Author]

Posts