Locals are helping out area resident hummingbirds get through the recent cold snap.
Jennifer Harrison posted a video showing her method of preventing a hummingbird feeder from freezing to the Tsawwassen Loop Facebook group.
Video courtesy Jennifer Harrison
She used an old sock to keep the feeders’ contents from freezing too quickly, Harrison noted. Harrison still swapped out the feeders every two hours and changed the sugar water to a 3:1 ratio instead of 4:1.
In the comments to her post other group members shared photos of their hummingbird feeder setups, including putting lamps nearby to prevent freezing.
The Wildlife Rescue Association website notes hummingbirds need to eat almost constantly.
“Hummingbirds can consume half their weight in pure sugar every day,” the site states. “Nectar fuels hummingbird’s metabolism – the highest of an endothermic animal on the earth. Although these food sources are readily available in the spring and summer, winter becomes challenging.”
