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Re: hummingbird supplements



DONNA . . .

I hope you get a million hummers!

There are indeed protein and vitamin supplements available that you 
could add to your sugar water. These are usually used, however, for 
captive birds that are being rehabbed.

Let me play devil's advocate and suggest you NOT add any kind of 
supplement to your sugar water mix. Hummers are "driven" 
metabolically to eat small insects as their primary protein and fat 
source. If protein and fat are added to sugar water, that might end 
up drawing the birds away from more natural sources of those dietary 
components and REALLY get them hooked on feeders. I don't know that 
this would happen, but it seems like it would be far better to 
encourage them to eat the more natural sources of fat and protein.

The same argument could be made, of course, for NOT using feeders at 
all, but virtually all the birds that come to my feeders also make 
visits to the natural nectar sources that i have in my yard, so they 
aren't really "feeder junkies."

BTW, the protein and mineral supplement sare a lot more expensive 
than Dixie Crystals.


Happy hummingbird watching!

BILL

**********

>It is nice to know that my feeders are still considered a "five star"
>establishment by the small birds.  Today, the hummingbirds consumed about 40
>ounces of nectar, up from about 25 ounces of nectar yesterday, thus
>beginning the annual "Make a Gallon of Nectar Every Other Day and Sometimes
>Every Day" ritual.  The 96 ounce feeder has been hung in anticipation of
>more birds to come.  The maximum today appeared to be about ten birds at
>once at the feeder at the north end of the porch, not counting "The Guard"
>at the south end of the porch, maintaining his aggressive defense of "his"
>feeder. 
>
>Does anyone know if there is any kind of supplement available that can be
>added to nectar to make it more nutritious?  I've seen that "Hummingbird
>Nectar" powder.  It's red and has some sweetners I didn't think would be
>good for the little birds.  I'm looking for a protein/vitamin supplement
>that could be added to homemade sugar water.  
>
>And I can only hope the "rev-nooers" wear red ties when they come to see if
>we are using all this sugar to turn sour mash into moonshine.
>
>Donna Bailey
>Winnsboro, SC
>e-mail: dsbailey@conterra.com
>URL: http://www.conterra.com/dsbailey
>      "Where are the Birds?  Migration across South Carolina"
>URL: http://www.conterra.com/dsbailey/audubon
>     "Columbia Audubon Society"

-- 
**********

BILL HILTON JR., "The Piedmont Naturalist"
Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History
1432 DeVinney Road
York, South Carolina 29745
USA

e-mail: <hilton@hiltonpond.org>

Voice: (803) 684-5852

eFax: (503) 218-0845

Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History is a 501(c)(3) 
non-profit research and education organization, so all in-kind or 
monetary gifts to Operation RubyThroat and the Center are 
tax-deductible. Please visit our websites:

Hilton Pond:  <http://www.hiltonpond.org>

Operation RubyThroat:  <http://www.rubythroat.org>


"Never trust a person too lazy to get up for sunrise or too busy to 
watch the sunset."

						BHjr.

**********