Lest you think I'm joking about Sandhill Cranes always crossing the road, here's a picture from my trip to Starbucks this morning. There were three in all, but this one was the last to cross the road.



I also saw a Swallowtail Kite yesterday while driving. I ducked my head down low so I could make sure it had the forked tail. I'm going to go report my sighting now before I forget (again)!

Oh dear. Rita that is a conundrum. Maybe the chick fledged. They do quite young you know. Well before they can fly.

flaflwrgrl said:Oh dear. Rita that is a conundrum. Maybe the chick fledged. They do quite young you know. Well before they can fly.

It is just strange.

Melanie, yes indeed, I've seen Sandhill Cranes walking in the road ... and across the road many times here in Florida.

I spot Swallow-tailed Kites here every so often, one was swooping and diving low as it hunted this past Friday. I didn't get any photos that day but did report the sighting to http://www.thecenterforbirdsof... I think I shared these photos on the May thread, a couple of Kites were hunting in the neighborhood. Photos taken May 1st:

Swallowed-tailed Kites are very cool!

I was just getting ready to feed the dog and looked out the kitchen window and spotted this Anhinga perched in the Cypress tree. He must have recently come out of the water and perched on the branch to preen and let his feathers dry. I grabbed my camera and went out for a few photos. As I stepped out the door I startled a Hawk that was in the Magnolia tree ... it flew off so I wasn't able to get any hawk pictures, dang it! I've seen so many birds sitting with their bills/beaks open lately ... figured it must be due to the horrendous heat we've been having for the past couple of months ... birds don't sweat so I'm assuming that's their way of cooling off, like dogs panting. Anyway, here's distance and close up shots of the Anhinga:

I think you must be right about that with the beaks/bills open Lin. I have many times observed birds in the hellish heat of summer sitting with their beaks/bills open when at other times of the year the same birds do not sit with their beaks open.

Birds will pant with their beaks open when they get too hot! I know my hubby thinks I'm a crazy old lady but I will put the sprinkler on for them. The mist of the water helps cool them down. The hummingbirds especially love the sprinkler and will sit in a nearby tree to take a shower, flapping their wings and shaking their tails back and forth with their heads looking straight up. I've seen other birds do the same. So cute to see.

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! This might be a case of be careful what you wish for or biting off more than you can chew. I don't know how many hummers we have now but it's a LOT. Remember I have 3 feeders & they are sucking a full feeder dry in about 3 days now. Yesterday evening we counted 5 fighting over the feeder out back. I have no idea if any of those 5 use the side or front feeders but I know there were 5 trying to get at the rear one.

I just ran across this site. Very interesting info. here. We all talk about the hummers fighting so. This is the reason I placed my feeders on different sides of the house but this says that's the wrong thing to do. Read on my friends.
http://www.daybreakimagery.com...

Ann, thanks for that link ... very interesting reading! I think I'm going to cluster my nectar feeders to see what happens!

You're welcome Lin. I took the feeder in the front & put it on the same shepherds hook with the one in the rear. The 1 on the side is not far from that shepherds hook --- maybe 20 feet. I think that link said within 30 feet. Anyway I'm trying the cluster to see what happens. I'll report what happens here & I'm sure you'll report back on yours.
It makes sense though. Christine's are all clustered together on that wood pole she has & I've always envied that hers seem to feed all together so I think the clustering thing may be the key.

Ann - That's really interesting how many hummers you are getting! Is that typical or is that very unusual for you at this time of year?

I have to add to your news ... on Friday, I was just looking out my backdoor and saw what I believe was the female RTH (Ruby-throated hummingbird) at some of the flowers nearby. When all of the sudden I saw another hummer dart in and a chase began!!! This is a first for me. I have never, ever seen more than just 1 hummer at a time in the summer. Never! I was lucky to even see one most summers.

This is really interesting news!!! Maybe more of them are coming to Florida for Spring/Summer breeding?

Becky we have only been living in this house for a little over 2 years so this is just the third season (& the first was only partial) with the feeders out but no, the previous 2 years we did not have this many. It's also possible some of these I'm seeing are already ones that have begun heading south from the far north. That link did talk about them beginning the trek in July.

Are they adult males? If not, it is not likely that south bound migrating females and immatures would already be at your feeders in mid-July.

Thanks for that link Ann, I also have more hummers this year and I am going to try the cluster method with my 3 feeders, maybe even buy another one.

Ann, I enjoyed reading the link. I guess I'm doing it right even though I didn't connect the dots. It makes sense that the noise they make will attract more hummingbirds. Maybe I better get a couple more feeders too. LOL! I did get a couple of bigger feeders so I only have to fill them once a day, instead of twice. I cannot imagine having 75 feeders! Yep, be careful what you wish for.

beckygardener said:Are they adult males? If not, it is not likely that south bound migrating females and immatures would already be at your feeders in mid-July.

Becky, I know for sure that we have at least 1 adult male but beyond that I can not say for sure about males. The 5 we saw fighting over the rear feeder last night were all females. Well, so I guess putting 2 & 2 together I can positively say we have 6 hummers. That number may change now that I have clustered the feeders. This morning we were watching the rear feeder (before I added the front feeder to the shepherds hook) & it was strange. There were 2 females that kept doing this almost slow motion "dance" with each other. It was far different than the fierce fighting that you normally see. They weren't fighting - they just mirrored each others movements in a ballet type dance and they were not yelling at each other -- they made no sounds at all except the hum of their wings. I have no clue what that was all about but it was interesting.

Yes, Christine, it seems you did the right thing instinctively. I have also been thinking of getting some larger volume feeders.

BUT 75 feeders????!!!!!! YIKES! Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I could not do that many. I need a life too. LOL!

Ann, there should be lots of juvies around this time of year, I saw a young male Calliope the other day.

Very interesting. I have 1 in front and 1 in back. Following the old advice of opposite sides of the house. I have at times put 2 out front. I have another hummzinger I can put out. Plus several other type feeders I still have. I have hoarded hummingbird feeders! Now what should I do????