Allen, Thanks for the comments on the hummers and hornets. Next year we'll probably investigate some different style feeders to see which one is more difficult for the bugs to use. The hornets don't reuse their nests year after year, so maybe they'll relocate elsewhere next year. We'll make an effort to properly mix the hummer food, and we'll most certainly not use commercial hummer food again for economic reasons as well as what I learned in the links you so kindly provided. Regarding the potency versus size theory to insect sting toxicity, my wife indicated that the hornet that stung her did not hurt as much as the little yellowjacket that nailed her last year, but that's a fairly unscientific study. I don't plan on conducting any of those experiments myself, I'll leave that to the experts. Lastly, I was saddened to see a Swainson's Thrush has hit the window of my office building (near Dayton) and died. I'd never seen one so close, his back is a brighter shade of olive green than I'd ever noticed in the field. Nice bird, too bad he's dead. I met a great number of his relatives in the woods over the weekend (John Bryan State Park), so I think the species is well this year. Good birding, Greg Spahr (Fairborn, OH) ________________________________________________________________________ Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]