Union Springs .. Just had a female hummingbird at the feeder at 2:43
p.m. She looks plump so hopefully she's getting a good supply of insects
to get protein to put on body fat for her long, treacherous, strenuous
journey. She took 17 long sips of sugar water.
Gold finches were also here, busy feeding young & titmice arrived back
today, in force, at the feeders. I put out my first suet cake today. All
in the crab apple tree outside my window.
I am not really missing them but I've had no house sparrows for at least
a mo.. My family of crows deserted me last winter.
Two gray squirrels were here for 2 or 3 wks., both with many warty lumps
on face, necks & sides. The eye on one was completely covered with the
tumor & the ears were mis-shapened & flat against the head.
I found out from the Northeast Wildlife Disease Cooperative that they
have a "pox" virus called squirrel fibromatosis virus or fibroma. This
type virus also is found in deer, rabbits & woodchucks & is known to be
transmitted by fleas & mosquitoes & probably by close contact with other
animals of the same kind & by fighting where the skin is broken. With
squirrels it can affect internal organs & cause death. Nothing was said
about birds but it's not transmissible to humans.
Fritzie Blizzard
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