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Wednesday, January 13, 2021 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
For the Birds: Salmonella and irrupting finches
By Elise Wolf
Correspondent
A c r o s s t h e c o u n t r y,
small, striped brown birds
with flashy hints of yellow
are swarming bird feeders.
These delightful birds are
pine siskins. Since October
of 2020, the tiny finches have
streamed south by the thou-
sands in a record-breaking
migration event. In one sight-
ing, birders counted a cloud
of over 5,000 in October in
Cape May, New Jersey.
The pine siskins are not
alone; evening grosbeaks,
common redpoll, Cassin9s
finch, red crossbill, and even
red-breasted nuthatch have
abandoned the north because
the cone crop is lacking.
Mass movements like these,
called <irruptions,= explain
why one year you might
find just a few of a species
at the feeder, and the next a
LOVE
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barrage. These finches target
the seeds, cones, and buds
of the mountain and boreal
forests that cross Alaska and
Canada. They9re currently
amassing in forests through-
out the country and on urban
cone-bearing trees and bird
feeders, even making sur-
prise appearances in the Gulf
states and Bermuda.
Unfortunately, some are
falling ill with bacterial infec-
tions from a potent salmo-
nella strain, S. Typhimurium.
Originally from agricultural
poultry farms, salmonella
is now a world traveler,
affecting birds as remote as
Antarctic penguins. The finch
family of birds is all particu-
larly vulnerable to this intes-
tinal squatter. Pine siskins are
getting hit hard with it.
Salmonella is a surviv-
alist; it can last weeks to
months in the environment,
enduring freezing and hot
temperatures. The longer a
pathogen lives, the more it
accumulates. Anywhere fecal
matter can contaminate food
or water is a danger zone;
sadly, that is some of our
most popular feeders. A bird
sitting in a tray of food can
be spreading disease.
Michelle Dennehy of
the Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife (ODFW)
explains that, <Salmonella,
e. coli, and other bacteria
along with viruses, para-
sites, and fungal diseases
can be passed at feeders that
don9t get cleaned regularly.=
Stress is also a launching
pad for disease. Pine siskins
swarmed south due to a lack
of food. That hunger, along
with cold weather, creates a
lot of stress.
In pine siskins, salmonella
is often lethal. The bacte-
ria affect the intestinal tract,
preventing food digestion,
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AUTO • HOME • LIFE • BUSINESS
and then invade the organs
and brain. Ill birds appear
tired and lethargic, sitting for
long periods at the feeder or
perhaps acting tame when
approached. You may find
them deceased.
The good news is that we
can fight disease at the feeder
by being good stewards.
<When you feed birds, be
sure to start with clean feed-
ers and to disinfect feeders,=
says Dr. Colin Gillin, ODFW
State Wildlife Veterinarian.
Here are a few key tips:
" If birds are dying at your
feeder, remove the finch
feeders for a couple of weeks.
" Remove any feeder that
lets a bird get their rear over
the food.
" Wash feeders once a
week if you have large num-
bers and/or sick birds.
" Thoroughly disinfect
feeders: take apart, scrub,
wash, soak in 10 percent
bleach bath, wash with
soap and water, rinse, dry
thoroughly.
" Wash birdbaths. Use
bleach if you can without
getting it in the environment.
" Feed individual seeds
in feeders, so seeds are not
tossed to the ground.
" Avoid wood, flat, or
seed-catching type feeders.
" Mesh and hoppers work
great (Sisters Feed Store has
a nice hopper and is stocked
up on seed).
" Clean and remove debris
from under the feeder.
" Spread the feeders out
rather than congregating
them.
For more information go
to www.nativebirdcare.org/
blog. You can call ODFW
at 866-968-2600 or email
Wildlife.Health@state.or.us.
Text Native Bird Care at
541-728-8208 if you see sick
birds.
MEAT S, GAME
ALASKAN SEAFOOD
CHEESES
SANDWICHES
BEER, WINE, CIDER
110 S. SPRUCE ST. | 541-719-1186
A N N O U N C E M E N T S
Sisters Arts Association
Annual Meeting
Th e Sisters Arts Association
(SAA) is holding its annual
member meeting via Zoom
on Tuesday, January 26 at 10
a.m. To register, go to www.
sistersartsassociation.org, click
on “Events/Annual Meeting” and
fi ll out the form. Th ose who do
will receive an invitation by email
to join the meeting. Sign-up
deadline is Sunday, January 24
at 10 a.m. SAA will review its
accomplishments during 2020,
despite the pandemic. During
this Zoom meeting, participants
will be able to meet the board,
learn about plans for 2021, and
how they can participate. Stick
with the meeting and at the end
a name will be drawn to receive a
complimentary membership for
2021, worth $50.
Let’s Talk! Building Trust
Citizens4Community invites
Sisters Country to ring in the new
year with a robust, online Let’s
Talk! panel discussion from 6 to
7:30 p.m. on Monday, January 18.
Panelists and attendees will share
their thoughts about building
trust, relationships and eff ective
collaboration in Sisters, even
during times punctuated by
strong disagreement and COVID
stress. Diverse perspectives are
welcome. Panelists will include
Nugget Editor Jim Cornelius
and City Manager Cory Misley.
Let’s Talk! is free and spotlights
a diff erent local topic each
third Monday of the month.
To RSVP/receive the Zoom link,
email: citizens4community@
gmail.com. Read more at
Citizens4Community.com.
Career Funds Available
Weekly Food Pantry
Applications are available for
the Sisters Kiwanis Career
Opportunity Fund to help adult
residents of Sisters establish an
occupational path. Pick up forms
at the Kiwanis House, corner of
Oak and Main, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Th ursdays, and during regular
hours from the Sisters Habitat
for Humanity offi ce. For more
information, call 541-719-1254.
Wellhouse Church has a weekly
food pantry on Th ursdays. Food
will be distributed drive-through
style from 12:30 until all food
is picked up at the Wellhouse
Market building, 222 N. Trinity
Way. People in need of food
may pick up a bag of food for
their household. Other Sisters-
area churches are joining with
Wellhouse Church to contribute
both fi nancially and with
volunteers to help sustain the
program. Info: 541-549-4184.
Furry Friends Has Moved!
Th e Furry Friends offi ce is now
located at 412. E. Main Ave., Ste.
4 behind Th e Nugget offi ce.
Th ough the offi ce is closed to
the public, the pet food bank is
still open for no contact porch
pick ups. For more information
or to schedule pick up, call or
text 541-797-4023.
Sponsor an Impoverished
Child from Uganda
Hope Africa International, based
in Sisters, has many children
awaiting sponsorship! For info
go to hopeafricakids.org or call
Katie at 541-719-8727.
Free Weekly Grab-N-Go
Lunches For Seniors
Th e Council on Aging of
Central Oregon is serving
ng
seniors (60+) free Grab-N-
-N-
Go lunches on Tuesdays,
ys,
Wednesdays, and Th ursdays
sdayss
each week. Th e lunches s are
distributed on a fi rst-come,
ome,
fi rst-served basis drive-
through style from 12 to o
12:30 p.m. at the Sisters s
Community Church,
1300 W. Mckenzie
Hwy. Seniors may drive e
through the parking lot t
and pick up a meal each
ch
h
day of service. Come
on by, no need to
make a reservation.
For more info please
call 541-678-5483.
Please call the church before attending to verify current status of services as restrictions are adjusted.
SISTERS-AREA CHURCHES
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church (ELCA)
386 N. Fir Street • 541-549-5831
10 a.m. Sunday Worship
shepherdofthehillslutheranchurch.com
Sisters Community Church (Nondenominational)
1300 W. McKenzie Hwy. • 541-549-1201
10 a.m. Sunday Worship (with signing)
sisterschurch.com | info@sisterschurch.com
St. Edward the Martyr Roman Catholic Church
123 Trinity Way • 541-549-9391
5:30 p.m. Saturday Vigil Mass
9 a.m. Sunday Mass
8 a.m. Monday-Friday Mass
Calvary Church (NW Baptist Convention)
484 W. Washington St., Ste. C & D • 541-588-6288
10 a.m. Sunday Worship | ccsisters.org
Th e Episcopal Church of the Transfi guration
68825 Brooks Camp Rd. • 541-549-7087
8:30 a.m. Ecumenical Sunday Worship (Sunday school,
childcare) 10:15 a.m. Episcopal Sunday Worship (Sunday
school, childcare)
Chapel in the Pines
Camp Sherman • 541-549-9971
10 a.m. Sunday Worship
Sisters Church of the Nazarene
67130 Harrington Loop Rd. • 541-389-8960 | sistersnaz.org
10:45 a.m. Sunday Worship | 2sistersnaz@gmail.com
Wellhouse Church
442 Trinity Way • 541-549-4184 | wellhousechurch.churchcenter.com
10 a.m. Sunday Worship (Indoor & Outdoor Venues available)
Vast Church (Nondenominational)
541-719-0587 • 5 and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Worship at
442 Trinity Way (Wellhouse building). See vastchurch.com for details.
Seventh-Day Adventist Church
386 N. Fir St. • 541-595-6770, 541-306-8303
11 a.m. Saturday Worship
Th e Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
452 Trinity Way • Branch President, 541-420-5670;
10 a.m. Sunday Sacrament Meeting
Baha’i Faith Meetings
Devotional Gatherings, Study Classes and Discussion
Groups. Call for location and times • 541-647-9826
PET OF THE WEEK
Humane Society of Central Oregon
541-382-3537
Meet PRINCE, a regal
10-month-old rabbit who
is eager to meet his forever
family! This mellow man
loves a good cuddle and has
grown accustomed to a rather
pampered lifestyle! Prince
would prefer to be the only
rabbit in the home so that he
can be the center of attention
and spoiled silly like a prince
should be! If you are looking
for a clever rabbit who loves
to cuddle then Prince is the
bunny for you!
SPONSORED BY
Black Butte
Veterinary
Clinic
541-549-1837