Whew! Thanks, Bob for your input! I intend to test your ratio today on half my feeders and see which empty first. I, too have a wide variety of flowers for our winged and six-legged friends, and supplemental water, so hopefully I have done no harm. I don't see it as a competition, as much as I saw it as pleasing the little buggers palate. I have no idea how anyone counts numbers among all the activity anyway, unless some are marked or banded as you do. Thanks for your tips, expertise, and all the good work you do on the hummers behalf! Carol Reese Ornamental Horticulture Specialist -Western District University of Tennessee Extension Service 605 Airways Blvd. Jackson TN 38301 901 425 4721 email jcreese@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx =================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER===================== The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation. ----------------------------------------------------- To post to this mailing list, simply send email to: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx ----------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send email to: tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society web site at http://www.tnbirds.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TN-Bird Net Owner: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx (423) 764-3958 =========================================================