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Post by kano296 on Aug 29, 2012 20:24:26 GMT -5
I don't know if this has been discussed before but make sure you check your feeders regularly to tear down any spider webs near them. I went to one of my feeders the other morning and was horrified to find my hummingbird wrapped up tight and dead in a spider web right next to the feeder. The spider was nearby and very fat. I'm sure it was the biggest meal it had ever had. I feel so guilty that I wasn't there to rescue her. Most of the time, the spiders make the webs at night and when the hummers come for their first feeding in the morning, they can get caught. So if you can only check them once a day, make sure to check them very early in the morning. I've heard that hummingbirds are the smartest of all the birds. Since I haven't seen any hummingbirds near the feeder since, I'm wondering if they all watched in horror while the poor little hummer was being tortured to death by the spider and have been afraid to come back.
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Post by Joe M on Aug 30, 2012 6:46:22 GMT -5
Good Post! And good advice since the Golden Orb Weaver is very common and I can attest to its web easily entrapping small birds including Hummers of course. Joe M Lakeland
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Post by sharonb on Aug 30, 2012 11:41:46 GMT -5
thank you for alerting us to the danger of spider webs. For the last 2 days I have been admiring a Golden Orb Weaver web next to some hummer plants not realizing the potential threat.I just ran down and destroyed the web (it really was beautiful) and transplanted the spider to the other side of the yard. I haven't seen any hummers recently, but put up my feeder this morning. Yesterday I saw Great Horned owls, pair of eagles, northern parula, blue-grey gnatcatcher,hairy woodpeckers and our regular mockingbirds, blue jays, doves, red-bellied woodpeckers, green heron, great egret, barn swallows, and sandhills, and that was within about 15 minutes ! Activity is ramping up out here in Haines City
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Post by kano296 on Aug 30, 2012 14:48:42 GMT -5
This wasn't a Golden Orb Weaver....it was much smaller and the legs weren't much longer than its fat round body. But the web certainly was sticky and strong. Thanks Sharon....I had hoped that by posting I may have saved some other precious hummers!
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