Ruby-throated hummingbird early this morning on my new feeder

[Walleye]

[niyad]

1. Just. . .WOW. Thank you so much.

[lastlib]

2. I'm going long on sugar futures......

both nickels!

judging from the hummingbird stories/pictures on DU & FB, I should make a fortune!

[RainCaster]

3. We have Roufus & Anna's at our house

Just bought another 10 lb bag o sugar for them.

[dawn5651]

4. beautiful

[markie]

5. I prepared

my feeders yesterday... and then it snowed last night ...in a few days

[BumRushDaShow]

6. Due to the bird flu that has been running rampant around here

I have been reticent to put my feeder out (this week is when I usually see my first mature males). They had recommended holding off feeding birds because the wild ones are spreading it to domestic birds (e.g., chickens including egg-laying hens, and turkeys, etc)

How backyard chicken owners are protecting their flocks from the deadly avian flu outbreak

By Alan Yu April 25, 2022



A deadly flu virus has been spreading in birds across the U.S. As of last week, Pennsylvania had the second highest number of affected birds in the country, after Iowa. A Lancaster County poultry farm killed more than a million birds earlier this month to keep the virus from spreading further, with more than 100 farms within a six-mile radius under quarantine. Although the avian flu poses low risks to the public, and there have been few cases among backyard chickens, owners in the region are still concerned. They are trying to protect their birds — which they see as pets — from getting infected.

Allison Sanka, a financial counselor and small business coach in Chester County, keeps five hens at home. She said both she and other people she knows who have chickens have been nervous about the flu since a wild bald eagle died from an infection in the county last month. Normally, she would let her hens free range in her yard under her supervision, so that they can dig for worms. But since hearing about the spread of avian flu, Sanka has not let her chickens outside their coop and fenced-in run. “They are not happy about it,” she said. “They will yell and cluck very loudly at the door and try and call us.

It seems ridiculous, but they know that if they make a lot of noise, that generally we’ll go out there.” “Every time we open the door, they try to escape … we have a couple that are very sneaky and that can try and get by us very quickly and get out, and we’ve had to run and catch them.” Catching a running chicken is very difficult — as Rocky Balboa famously found out when he chased one as a workout.

Sanka has boots that she only wears in the chicken area, and cleans them off with bleach and water, so she doesn’t accidentally introduce the virus, which can spread through the droppings of infected birds. She used to bring her chickens weeds from the garden to peck on, but lately, she’s only been giving them lettuce from the grocery store or food scraps to snack on. She’s also been watching for any signs of respiratory infections in her chickens, like coughing, wheezing, or bubbles in their eyes.

https://whyy.org/articles/how-backyard-chicken-owners-are-protecting-their-flocks-from-the-deadly-avian-flu-outbreak/

[usonian]

7. Sounds like wild-bird feeding is OK unless you have poultry nearby

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/avian-influenza-outbreak-should-you-take-down-your-bird-feeders/
There is currently very low risk of an outbreak among wild songbirds, and no official recommendation to take down feeders unless you also keep domestic poultry,

https://www.sungazette.com/news/top-news/2022/04/with-bird-flu-spreading-whats-the-advice-for-backyard-bird-feeders/

(PA) But, on Monday, commission Communications Director Travis Lau said the agency has not recommended that bird feeders and bird baths be emptied as a barrier to the raging bird flu.

“While we never encourage the public to feed wildlife, we aren’t recommending feeders be taken down,” Lau said.

“While feeders do lead to a congregation of wild birds, feeding isn’t considered a significant HPAI driver. The birds most affected don’t often visit feeders.

“One exception to this is if you also care for poultry. If so, you always want to prevent contact between wild birds and poultry not just for HPAI but for any number of diseases. In such cases, feeding wild birds may be putting your poultry at risk.”

[BumRushDaShow]

8. Well Williamsport is a distance away from Philly (almost 200 miles)

and our Zoo has actually brought all of its exotic birds "indoors" because of it -

There were "positive" cases announced by the state Ag folks about 10 days ago -

Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)

Avian influenza (AI), commonly known as “bird flu,” is caused by an influenza type A virus. Avian influenza viruses occur naturally in wild birds, especially waterfowl and shore or wading birds. Wild bird species (such as ducks and geese) can carry and spread Avian Influenza viruses without becoming ill. However, in recent months certain types of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza viruses have been affecting the wild waterfowl as well as domestic poultry species. Avian influenza in birds is very contagious and can cause serious disease and high mortality in domestic poultry such as chickens, quail, pheasants, guinea fowl and turkeys.

Current Status in Pennsylvania

On Saturday, April 16, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture confirmed the state's first positive case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in domestic poultry, in a flock of commercial layer chickens on a Lancaster County poultry farm. State and federal government, and private poultry industry representatives remain on high alert and are taking strict measures to protect Pennsylvania’s poultry industry.

(snip)

https://www.agriculture.pa.gov/Animals/AHDServices/diseases/avian_influenza/pages/default.aspx

APHIS issued this yesterday -

News and Announcements

USDA Takes Action to Ensure Continued Rapid Response to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in the United States
Published: Apr 27, 2022


Contacts:
Mike Stepien
[e-mail]
Lyndsay Cole
[e-mail]

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is leading a growing response to a large outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). To date, the virus has been confirmed in 29 states, affecting more than 33 million domestic birds. APHIS is working closely with State animal health officials on joint incident responses in each of the affected states.

To help ensure APHIS can continue to provide critical rapid response activities, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack approved the transfer of nearly $263 million from the Commodity Credit Corporation to APHIS to directly support the response efforts. The funding allows APHIS to continue its critical work with state and local partners to quickly identify and address cases of HPAI in the United States.

“Highly pathogenic avian influenza is a serious concern for our nation’s poultry industry, and we need to continue our nationwide response to minimize the impact,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “The Agency’s actions during this ongoing emergency serve to safeguard U.S. poultry and egg producers and reduce the effects of avian influenza on agriculture and trade, while also enhancing readiness for other animal health emergencies.”

The Secretary is authorized to transfer funding from available resources (e.g., the Commodity Credit Corporation) to address emergency outbreaks of animal and plant pests and diseases.

Secretary Vilsack previously approved the use of approximately $130 million in emergency funding in mid-March, and APHIS has used these funds to address nationwide HPAI detections to date. These funds have been used to address indemnity, diagnostics, field activities, and other emergency response costs.

HPAI is a serious disease and requires rapid response because it is highly contagious and often fatal to poultry. APHIS and officials from affected states are responding in accordance with Federal and State HPAI response plans, which include implementing quarantine restrictions, depopulating affected flocks, disposing of depopulated birds, cleaning and eliminating the virus from affected premises, and conducting surveillance in surrounding areas.

While these response efforts are vital to ending the outbreak, there are also actions bird owners can take to help stop the spread of this virus. Biosecurity is critical for all bird owners. We encourage bird owners to work to ensure domestic birds do not come into contact with wild birds, and keep poultry confined inside during this high-risk period of migratory bird activity. We also encourage bird owners to limit traffic on and off your farm and use personal protective equipment and disinfection when caring for birds to avoid introducing HPAI. APHIS has a variety of biosecurity resources available at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/defend-the-flock-program/dtf-resources/dtf-resources. More information about the 2022 HPAI outbreak may be found at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/avian-influenza/2022-hpai. Resources for bird owners and more information about the HPAI response process may be found at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-home/hpai.

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/newsroom/news/sa_by_date/sa-2022/hpai-funding

They have already issued an Emergency Declaration in Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, New York, and Virginia.

There is actually a APHIS office not far from where I live and I am near the border of a suburban Philly county where a number of folks have backyard domesticated flocks (including the neighbor of one of my sisters who maintained a rooster, a small flock of laying hens and even some turkeys), plus both city and 'burbs have all those damn Canada geese around congregating and nesting along nearby ponds, creeks, and rivers and they are a known vector. There is such a (suburban township) pond about 1/2 mile from me.

So like COVID, things move fast and there will ALWAYS be a "difference of opinion" (and you see that right now with all the whiplash regarding COVID-19 recommendations and the confusion that continues to surround it 2 years later, where as a retired scientist myself, I know this is par for the course, but the general public is now feeling the aftereffects of "scientific debate" ).

In this case, in reference to that Cornell link, NY is now under an APHIS Emergency Declaration.