Hummingbird got feet stuck today!

[ChickensAreSweet]

This morning I was looking outside the window at a hummingbird sitting on her feeder, drinking. We have at least 5 different hummingbirds that drink at this feeder, so it is a busy one.

She flapped her wings and tried to fly away. But the freezing fog had made the little ring around the feeder where she stands wet, and her feet froze to the feeder!!!

She flapped and flapped, leaning backwards. She couldn't get her feet unstuck. She tried 3 times to fly away. I was horrified.

I thought a moment, then started running some warm water that I thought I could fill a glass with to pour over her feet (to unstick them). Then I looked out and she finally got her feet unstuck and flew away.

This is my first winter feeding hummingbirds through the winter. I have been thawing out the feeder when it fills with ice. This morning it was just cold enough to freeze the dampness on the feeder but not freeze the feeder's sugar water apparently.

 

[caspernc]

Humming birds are supposed to migrate DON"T feed them unless you live where it doesn't freeze! They need to get to the coast or the south.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Humming birds are supposed to migrate DON"T feed them unless you live where it doesn't freeze! They need to get to the coast or the south.

I heard from the locals here that there is a population of Anna's hummers that don't migrate and often die over winter from starvation. I had taken my feeder down in the fall because I had read on internet that it could be harmful to leave feeders up - preventing migration (what you are relaying).

About a month ago one of my "summer hummers" visited my porch where I had my feeder up during the summer. She hovered in the exact spot where the feeder used to be and "asked to be fed." So I immediately put the feeder back up and now have 5 or so of them that feed every day.

Thank you for telling me this though, and I am sure it is because we generally have very mild winters here in the Willamette Valley. We don't get much snow and we aren't far from the coast.

I am so thrilled to be able to help our resident hummers out during the winter. I love hummingbirds - especially the way they smile at you with their eyes when they get used to you.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Humming birds are supposed to migrate DON"T feed them unless you live where it doesn't freeze! They need to get to the coast or the south.

I am wondering though if this means that I should still remove the feeder in the fall and then put it up in the winter as I just did (every year) to help the other hummingbirds to decide to migrate.

 

[b.hromada]

awww, poor little baby. I hope that she was okay. I too, love hummingbirds, they are one of my very favorites. You're lucky you have some many! Enjoy!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

awww, poor little baby. I hope that she was okay. I too, love hummingbirds, they are one of my very favorites. You're lucky you have some many! Enjoy!

Thanks!

Thank you for the responses caspernc and b.hromada!

 

[theoldchick]

Oh my! The hummers around here are so fast I can barely see them!

 

[peepacheep]

A friend in Eugene has had Anna's hummers feeding on her late blooming fuchsias in December. Another friend has them over winter in Roseburg. While there is not much blooming I have read that they can feed on small flying insects. Since the can not peck like a chicken or robin they have to take the bug on the fly to get it into their mouths. The past couple of weeks must have been brutal for them.

I only have rufus hummers come to my feeders. capernc, you are right, this species does not winter over and I have to start weaning them off around Labor Day. The males will start coming back again in March. Then it is wear a red hat at at your own risk! So weird to have them checking out ears and nostrils!!!

 

[dewey]

Awww, poor little thing. And very sweet of you to try to help her.

Here in AZ, and along the pacific coast, we have some hummers that stay all year, plus there's always some other stragglers that take their chances and stay put instead of migrating. As typical, just today my backyard was buzzing with them. A couple of days ago the low was 20 degrees for several nights and it killed about 25 of my very mature blooming landscape plants, yet today the high was close to 80, and the hummers stayed through it all. But the plants that bloomed year-round for them are mostly gone now, so I've put out feeders. Lord willing, come early spring I will dig up the dead plants (all species planted to feed hummers) and plant new ones. The hummers that grace my backyard with their presence have occasionally rested on me or on the water hose that I'm holding. They are precious.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

A friend in Eugene has had Anna's hummers feeding on her late blooming fuchsias in December. Another friend has them over winter in Roseburg. While there is not much blooming I have read that they can feed on small flying insects. Since the can not peck like a chicken or robin they have to take the bug on the fly to get it into their mouths. The past couple of weeks must have been brutal for them.

I only have rufus hummers come to my feeders. capernc, you are right, this species does not winter over and I have to start weaning them off around Labor Day. The males will start coming back again in March. Then it is wear a red hat at at your own risk! So weird to have them checking out ears and nostrils!!!

The other day I was calling my chickens over for treats and an Anna's Hummer came up to me and hovered, as if to say, "Where are MY treats?" I told my family about it at the time because it was so cute. That's funny about the red hat!