I can add a little to this - not about the spread - but about how H5N1 works. H5 proteins attach to lung cells. N1 proteins destroy the cells to which they are attached. That's why so many people are so sick. This virus attacks and destroys lung cells. That's why WHO, the CDC, and others are so worried about this virus mutating to human-to-human transmission. The only other tidbit I can add is that in response to the virus being in flocks in Turkey, Europe is now requiring farmers to cage free-range chickens to cut down contact with wild birds. Don't know if this information helps anyone or not. Good luck. I hope all your flocks stay healthy.

Over the course of 35 years of Hummer watching and feeding, i've tried more feeders than I care to mention. I buy hummer feeders like some women buy clothes and shoes. I have several Hummzingers as well and like you even though they came to the saucers, it was the Perky Pets with perches that has been their choice. Family and friends have given me an assortment of those fancy blown glass, glass flowers, etc. Those are pretty much useless in my garden. They hang out in the attic with the others. I hang the smaller PP's on fishing line from a hook underneath the eaves of my house close to the windows. Their favorite one is the one at the dining room window. I can walk into any room and see hummers from March til November when they leave me for the winter. I've never had a problem with ants getting on the ones on the fishing line and it saves the ant cups for the other feeders.

I love all these photographs, I can look at them nonstop all day long. I live out in Western MA and have a few feeding stations up, one that contains BOSS and Safflower seeds, a thistle sock and a double suet feeder. Lately my feeders are packed with different song birds, chickadees, titmice, pine siskins, finches, white breasted nuthatches, dark eyed juncos, male and female cardinals, although I believe there's only one male cardinal that I keep seeing and along with the two females. I also get occasional house sparrows but lately, they seem to be staying away. I have a bluebird house up in hopes of luring a pair to my yard to raise a family but I'm not keeping my hopes up. Yesterday I was home for the day and sitting in my living room and out my bay window in the front across the street, were two Pileated Woodpeckers, the first I've ever seen. They were working on this one tree for about 2-3 hours, one on each side of the tree and they managed to do a fantastic job carving out a couple of cavities, I was very impressed at how hard they worked. Only wish my camera had a better lense. I've had red bellied, downie and hairy woodpeckers at my suet feeders but never was lucky enough to witness a pileated so close and two for that matter, it was very exciting. Please keep the pictures coming, I so enjoy looking at them and love to hear that there are bluebirds not to far from where I live. Fingers are crossed that they come to visit my yard in the spring. Linda

Hi, Kids, These are my feeders. As you will see, they are kinda close to the house. That's both good and bad...the birds are easy to see and the feeders are easy to fill but it also limits the type of birds I get. ie: no Ring Tails in my yard ;( These are the two tube feeders that are just off the deck. One Thistle and one Safflower. The squirrels don't bother them. The dome baffles are mostly for protection from the weather. I have a seed try for the Safflower tube but I can not attatch it until the tube is empty. This shows the edge of the deck, the suet feeder on the pine tree, the two tube feeders and the heated bird bath. You can also see the older 'bird condo' in the back. This one shows the tube feeder that is hung from the tree that is just outside the den and kitchen windows. It is for black oil sunflower seeds. This is the one that the squirrels have not yet gotten to. I see them on the tree, reaching...but they can't get to it. I see them on the pole above the feeder but, they are unsure of the larger dome baffle. It's been up since Nov. 18th but I have not seen a single squirrel eating from the feeder. Lot's of squirrels on the ground below, but that is as close as they have gotten...so far. Same feeder taken to show how close it is from the house/deck. Same feeder, looking up from the ground. It's about 15 feet up...another reason the squirrels are unsure ? Last one. This is my view of the same feeder from my desk. This is to show you how close it is to the house...about 12 - 15 feet. Also, Claire, you can see some of the plants that hang/sit in front of the window...from the birds hitting the window question. OK...one more. This is my view from inside the house, through the slider screen. My desk and chair are about 4 feet from the slider. From my chair I can look from the tree feeder to the suet and pole feeders...like watching a tennis match. Sorry about the ugly grill. I hope these come through and I hope they are not too big. Let me know. sooey