Ann, PFW, Project Feeder Watch is a Cornell labs citizen science project. http://feederwatch.org/ is the website. It costs to join so many don't do it. You count birds at your feeders 2 days a week from November to early April for as little as under an hour total time. This was my 9th season counting. There's a form to use for counting and you input the data online. I love going back and comparing what birds I saw at the same time for different years. (And I don't have to keep a spreadsheet, they do it for me.) The hardest thing is to only count 1 cardinal (or whatever species) if you see a male and female separately, but not together. You do get used to it though.

Thanks for the info. Becky. I might join later when I have more time. Right now we're working on our to-do list for the house.

Ann, you have plenty of time before next season starts Nov. 14.

Oh okay. That works.

And here is the female hummer - she posed for me. So did my baby Monroe (the dog). And I just love my coral honeysuckle. I wrapped it around a tomato cage to make it look like a shrub.

Love the hummie and Monroe Meredith. Ohhhhhhhhh a Scotty -- you have your hands full. I have enough with a Border Terrier - I don't think I'll be trying a Scotty.

I actually have 2 scotties, LOL. One dog for each daughter. The other one is Winston. They are a mess - talk about a big dog in a small dogs body. But they are simply, absolutely, unequivocally the best dogs EVER. So much personality. I actually don't think I've met a dog I don't like - there is something so wonderful about how they are always happy to see you no matter what.

Ok, more pics just because this was so cute - the one hummer was waiting his turn.

That really IS cute!

The little cuties are starting to show up here!

Saw the first hummingbird, male Ruby-throated, on March 31st. Right on time for around here, they usually start arriving around the first week of April. I've only seen about three males so far.

This morning I had a nice visitor while I watered the new plantings, a Ruby'throated male sat on the fence for a shower. He really looked like he was loving it with his little beak up in the air, flapping his wings and wagging his little tail. It was so cute, he stayed for several minutes. I'm still smiling.

Oh what a cute thing to watch Christine! I would be smiling for days.

Today, there were more than just the male that's been hanging around! So great...just the thought that there might not be families around eventually was getting to me! So, I finally got around to taking pictures!

Ok, Linda, time to teach me something. The hummingbird in the third picture doesn't look like the standard Ruby-Throated ones I see. Is it a different species or just ruffled up? Also, I don't know what kind of magical camera you have but excellent pictures!

Actually, I'd love to be able to ID the hummers for sure during migration times, but it's usually just too difficult, since Texas has so many species coming through during migration. And I'm not so good at hummer IDs anyway. Later on, only the Black-chinned hummer remains in this area to settle in for the summer nesting. If the darn hummers would show me their gorgets, that would help. Male Black-chinned has a purple one (although I seldom see it), and their beaks are a bit longish compared to their bodies. No magical camera...I took tons of bad photos, deleted almost all of what I took. A good lens for distance shots, skeeter repellent, lots of time to sit in a chair helps, I guess!

Wonderful pictures, Linda!

It's cold here this morning, 52°F and the hummers are being very fiesty, chasing each other off at the feeders.

Okay, I didn't have long to take these pictures. Only took three and two turned out okay, I guess. This is the hummingbird spotted today on the Golden Dew Drop (Duranta erecta). It's a good butterfly attractor, too. This is the first time I've seen the hummingbird on this plant. Also, he flew over me and his throat was really shiny and red - like Rudolph's nose!

Great shots Linda!!!! And for both sexes!

Hummer wars haven't gotten in full swing here just yet but there has been some shall we call it sparring? between a female RT & male RT over the feeder outside the kitchen window. Those 2 have been going at it all day long but it doesn't seem too serious....yet. So far I think the male is in the lead.

Melanie, hummers can be ridiculously difficult to distinguish between the different kinds. Other than maybe a wayward migrant flying through your area you will only have Ruby Throated hummers -- same for me.
Becky, your hummers are probably up here with me.

Yes, 'sparring' seems appropriate sinced they seem to use that little beak like a sword. Yesterday I counted six hummers at the feeders. There were two or more that were going at it pretty hard. I couldn't really tell since they are lightning speed! Several times one or another ended up on the ground. They didn't even care that I was standing there, trying to take a photo which was pretty much impossible as fast as they were moving!



At last two of them stopped to take a drink! (oops-here's the pic)

Nice photos Christine!

I don't get very many shots of the hummingbirds at the flowers, so here's the one pic of Ruby red throat hummingbird at common sage.

Yay Christine!!!