Replying to some of the comments about the numbers & frequency of
Hummingbirds we have coming to our feeders:  I have also heard the  Sargent's claim that
you should multiply the number you see by 6 or 7.  I  think that may be true
during migration but I doubt there would be that many in  such a small
vicinity during nesting season.  While our place is by a  stream & we do have several
trees, if there were 36 nests around,  I am sure we would have no difficulty
in finding at least some of them.   Haven't found any yet & it's not for lack
of looking.  And I have a  pretty good idea of how & where to look.  We have
found a couple in  past years.

We used to keep our feeders out of sight of each other to reduce  territorial
competition but this year I decided to try the strategy of keeping  them
close together on the theory that if there is too much feeding sources for  1 bird
to guard, they "give up".  I think it may be working.  There  have been
several times when there have been as many as 3 birds at 1 feeder  & 2 at each of
the others.  This has included the male 'dining" with 2  females!

What I really find intriguing is that there is always the same number of
birds.  Do you suppose each morning they have a "staff meeting"  to  make a
schedule that will ensure that there are never too few or too many birds  here at 1
time?  I know of no other way to account for such perfect  synchronization of
timing!

Laura Dornan
Louisville



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