I'm on the other side of the country and was under the impression that there weren't any around this area for winter but saw one Thursday. It visited every flower on a large Camellia shrub, then buzzed by my head, chittering, having a great time! I don't know them well enough to know what kind it was but it was definitely some kind of hummingbird. I reported the sighting to this site and received this reply: "It may come as a shock to you, but your hummingbird could easily be one of a dozen species that we now know live in Alabama in winter. We are fortunate to have in our banding/research studies, Mr. Fred Bassett of Montgomery who does a lot of research work in your part of the state. If you do not have a hummingbird feeder at your home, please hang a feeder now. Mix your sugar water solution 4 parts water to 1 part sugar if you will. With your permission, if the hummer starts coming to your feeder, he would like to come to your yard and try to capture, band/document and identify your uncommon wintering hummer. The most important people in our study of these tiny birds are folks like you who discover them in winter and then contact us."

I put a fresh cake of commercial pure suet out and it wasn't touched. I recently bought some real beef suet from the grocer and noted a hairy woodpecker chipping away at it today. I've tried the suet cakes with seed in them but it appears the birds prefer just the plain ones. However, I'm puzzled why they're just not feeding like they used to.

We have a pair that always builds a nest on the downspout by our house. Last year we put live mealworms on a tray on the ground near the nest, and they ate them. And a couple of times last year I saw the robin trying to figure out how to land on the suet cage by our birdfeeders (around 30 feet from the nest site), and also scrapping around on the ground for suet bits dropped by other birds. THIS year on the other hand.... robins have mastered how to land on and eat from the suet. They're not graceful doing it, but they do it. Also, I have a tube feeder with a mix of sunflower seeds, dried fruit, and dried mealworms. I have seen them on that and eating from the bottom tray and the ports. Then I put the grape jelly feeder up for the orioles. Robins figured that one out FAST! And believe it or not, I've also seen them on our hopper feeder helping themselves to hulled sunflower chips. I don't know if this is normal, but I swear it's true! Here is the only picture I managed to get so far, with one of the robins looking derpy while on the tube feeder:

9-10-2025; Yes, and if it grows as much next season as it did this summer, it's going to start to look like something. ;^) This also brings up the question about the moisture requirements, going around online, that advised this tree not to be planted in a dry location. Phssst! Where I live I'm well acquainted with dry! The #2 tree out front hasn't had supplementary water since the scant rains we had last July (1/4"?) which would make that particular spot very near 'Dry, Dry', yet it has grown well this summer. And those horizontal branches that grew straight out from the main trunk after the severe pruning I gave it this spring, all bent themselves upward, growing more vertical like a tree (sorry for the sunny picture and wildlife protection). Furthermore, when you look at the new second flush growth that occurred during August, with these dry conditions, actually appear more normal now than they ever did the last few seasons, with regular irrigation. So, I learned something about this tree. Not be so concerned about water, the tree will be fine if it gets on the dry side, especially in late summer and fall. These events changed my opinion of these trees significantly . If it winterkills fine, it still a goner but now I'll just have to give this tree another chance, again this spring. :o)