Hotscot

I have a feeder similar to this



It was full with the red sugar solution.
Last night we had a downpour and now the red solution is gone and has been replaced with water.

Some sort of capillary action perhaps? Very strange.

robin1234

BTW, I just use ordinary sugar - cheaper, and that way the birds don't drink the red dye. 1 part sugar to 4 parts plain tap water (by volume.) I always change it every three or four days.

That is odd though ...

Pulaski

Odd, but whatever it was it wasn't capillary action, because there are no capillaries (narrow tubes). Is the liquid at the same level? I wonder if the solution is significantly diluted (syrup replaced with rain water)?, or if the pH of the rain was sufficient to change the color?, like an acid alkali indicator from a chemistry lab.

Hotscot

Yes but if you look at the picture, there's no opening at the top for the rain to get in. The only opening is where you see the little fellers.

The top screws off for filling then screws back on to seal it.

(Didn't realise I could just use sugar.)

Pulaski

I have one just the same, but in a heavy rainstorm water may penetrate the flowers, and mix with the water. One drop of rainwater would momentarily increase the air pressure in the top of the reservoir, and so some of the mixed liquid would be forced back out to equalize the air pressure.

If the rain was cold relative to the ambient temperature, it would cool the sir in the reservoir and cause rain water to be drawn in. I still doubt that would cause much dilution or otherwise flush out the red dyed liquid though. .... So I don't know.

Hotscot

That sounds plausible and it was quite a vigorous downpour.
It's really the only explanation I can find. Would have been interesting to see the process.

robin1234

Here's a piece that covers the sugar mixture, with a lot of other useful info. I don't boil the mixture, but I do change it every two or three days especially in hot weather.

http://www.hummingbirds.net/feeders.html

Hotscot

Great article. Thanks!

BEVS

I've always wanted to see real live hummingbirds. Not that it is any use whatsoever to this thread . It was the hummingbird bit that attracted me in. I birds.

Yorkieabroad

We get them through here for a few weeks every year - they are fascinating to watch. They seem to get set in a routine, and do a tour of the garden stopping at various plants at such regular timing you could almost set your watch by them. I used to put feeders out (sugar water only) but the last couple of years I haven't bothered because they only seem to visit real plants. I didn't deliberately plant for hummingbirds, but seem to have hit a few of their favorites by chance. I used feeders very similar to yours, but noticed that every now and then, one would inexplicably drain overnight. Never did figure out why..

WEBlue

Probably bats, since you're in the southwest. Bats like nectar too and will feed overnight. You can get bat (-preventing) guards for the hummingbird feeder supposedly.

http://www.hummingbirds.net/feeders.html#cleaning

Weeze

Or very determined fire ants!

Cardienscarf

I love hummingbirds. I always got very excited when I saw (or heard more like!) the first one in the spring because, to me, it meant summer was on it's way.

robin1234

Interesting, that you get them passing through on migration. We, in the far north (we're about 350 miles north of New Youk City, on the Canadian border) get them all spring and summer as they nest here. I was aware that they migrate via Texas etc., crossing the Gulf of Mexico and presumably wintering in places like Mexico, Honduras etc.

I wish now I'd started recording first and last dates of seeing them each year. I think they are pretty regular, arriving late April and leaving early October. I'm pretty sure the same individuals come every year, since the day they arrive, they look for the feeder in the place I put it up, even though it's not there yet.

We have a lot of Hostas and they like those flowers, but they pretty much frequent all the neighborhood flowers, in season.

They are amusingly territorial and aggressive. If there's one on the feeder, another will zoom in from far away to buzz it. If I sit too near the feeder, they will buzz me aggressively; fly by fast within an inch of my head, or hover a foot in front of my face and make that high pitched chattering noise..

It's always a bit sad the day they leave.

Nutmegger

I agree -- we know when to put the feeder out every spring because they show up and buzz around the branch where we hang it as if it say "Come on, it's time, get that food out!" Often a pair come by and zoom in and out as you describe, dive bombing if I sit too close to the feeder. They really are such a pleasure to watch.