There are plenty of hummers in Miami, just at a different time of the year than the ones in Central Florida. I believe (and I learned this here in the group) they get to your area in October or so and stay through the winter. It is the opposite in central Florida. And though the ruby-throated hummer is the "normal" one nesting east of the Mississippi, a few other species are seen from time to time in the main part of the state, but even more "rare" ones are spotted in south Florida. So YOU could get even more varieties than we do here. Get that hummingbird garden going! "If you plant it, they will come!" Eventually! Tony, the fermented nectar really could make them tipsy, but mostly, it makes them sick, and they won't come back to that feeder again. (Assuming it doesn't kill them.) Hummers DO eat insects, as well as nectar, especially during the nesting season. I've seen them feeding in oak trees, and flying back to their nests, where they feed their young tiny bugs and spiders. If you suspect you have a nesting hummer, watch closely for it. The ruby-throateds build lichen covered nests about the size and shape of a marshmallow, and lay two eggs the size of very small jelly beans. They really aren't much larger than the little white lizard eggs you findin flower pots. When the female sits on the nest, her beak hangs over one side and her tail hangs over the other. The little nest is glued directly onto a branch and is hard to see, unless you spot the female flying to it. They are such fun to watch! I haven't had any this year (or at least haven't spotted any) so I'm planning to add a lot more good plants for them. My coral honeysuckle is blooming well, and I'm hoping it will soon have them coming. Good luck, all you hummer lovers! Marcia

Your critics are wrong. The books written by real experts say that even in Alaska and Minnesota and Maine you can leave hummingbird feeders out as long as you want and the birds will still leave when they need to. If not wouldn't they all just stick around up north indefinitely and starve to death when the first frost killed the flowers? If you need something in writing to back you up, try Enjoying Hummingbirds More by Nancy Newfield or the Peterson Guide to Hummingbirds by Sherri Williamson. They're both bonafide hummingbird experts that post on other forums. And maybe the Audubon Society can recommend a hummingbird expert who can give a talk to your garden club about hummingbird myths. Those people could use some straightening out. Here are a couple of links I found with Google: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/News/HummingbirdsInWinter.htm "During the last FeederWatch season, a number of CostaÂs and Black-chinned hummingbirds wintered in the Phoenix area and points south, and AnnaÂs Hummingbirds were frequently seen across the state." http://www.sabo.org/hbfaqs.htm#migrate "If you live along the Gulf or Pacific coasts or in the desert Southwest, you may have hummingbirds visiting your yard all year long." I also checked the Audubon Christmas Bird Count website and on the latest count in Phoenix on December 19, 2006 they counted 23 Anna's and 2 Costa's. And I'll bet most of them were seen around feeders.

Hello, Protego! You'll find that hummingbirds and butterflies enjoy lots of similar plants. They both feed on nectar sources, and hummingbirds hunt for small insects that are attracted to the nectar sources as well. I'm so glad you are enjoying gardening. It will be a therapeutic escape you can take advantage of for the rest of your life. Martha

Here's a link for butterfly gardens. And here are some plants that hummers like. Trees and Shrubs Azalea Butterfly Bush (Buddleia) Cape Honeysuckle Flame Acanthus Flowering Quince Lantana Manzanita Mimosa Red Buckeye Tree Tobacco Turk's Cap Weigela Vines Coral Honeysuckle Cypress Vine Morning Glory Scarlet Runner Bean Trumpet Creeper Perennials Bee Balm (Monarda) Canna Cardinal Flower Columbine Coral Bells Four O'Clocks Foxglove Hosta Hummingbird Mint (Agastache) Little Cigar Lupine Penstemon Yucca Annuals Beard Tongue (and other penstemons) Firespike Fuchsia Impatiens Jacobiana Jewelweed Petunia Various Salvia species Shrimp Plant Here is a link that might be useful: Butterfies