Here in the DFW area I usually see my first one about Mid April. Numbers increase in May, then July and Aug are our peak times. Usually Labor Day Weekend is the last of the hummer wars. After that I'll see one or two every few days. By the end of Oct I'm not seeing any at all. Thanksgiving I take the feeders down and throw the poppy seeds out. I tend to see mostly black chin, sometimes its a ruby. Neither of these will share a feeder for me. The only time I've seen hummers sharing is down in the Hill Country. If you get some of those hummers maybe they'll share at your place? I've had lots of visits today to both the feeders and my native coral honeysuckle. Don't have anything else blooming that they like. There are tons of bugs for them though. By July I'll have a yard full of both bugs and blooms. Good luck building your hummer haven **** and **** getting them to claim it their own.

Gldno, great photo; what kind of camera are you using? Count me in as another birdwatcher/birdfeeder, though like Mimi, I don't set the table year round. At Thanksgiving I start putting out black oil sunflower seeds in several tube feeders and will also hang suet or tallow if it's really cold. I take them up by St Patrick's. We have many mature trees and several shrubs around the house as well as a number of boxes and birdhouses and I've noticed that fighting over the feeders interferes with nest building. So, I'm happy to help out in the winter, but once it's spring, they're on their own. I only feed BOSS; the Finches like it as well as the considerably more expensive Thistle, and I figure if the birds are just hankering for corn, they can (and do) flit down among the chickens for a little scratch. Our Grandson usually makes a couple of peanut butter pine cone bird feeders each year for Christmas too. Have you done Cornell's Great Backyard Bird Count? It's a four day, nationwide event that consists of individuals simply looking out their window and counting how many birds (and what species) are hanging around. You don't have to count from your home; anywhere you see birds is good. You can spend as little as 15 minutes on one afternoon, or several hours each day if you have the time. You fill in a different report for each day which is why there are two reports for Bowlegs, although I was the only person participating. I'd like to change that this year, and get the local school science class or at least the 4H group involved. We live on a farm with a good pond, surrounded by open fields and woods that sits at least a half mile from the nearest house, so we have a nice diversity of native birds all winter, everything from Roadrunner and Turkey Vultures to Juncos and Goldfinch. When you add in all the domestic chickens underfoot, it's pretty lively out there. :^) Here is a link that might be useful: Great Backyard Bird Count FAQ

Hey all, I'm in Antioch & I've been growing plumerias successfully for almost 10 years. I have 2 excellent plants that were gifted to me by the professor of horticulture @ cal st. Hayward, unfortunately I forgot what they were. I recently bought a cutting from a plant sold as pops red, but actually was purple, can't wait for roots! One of my 2 from the professor just bloomed for the 1st time in 8 years......exciting times! I've noticed that soil is one of the key elements when growing plumeria. I usually use cactus mix, but decided to switch things up this time & mix my own. I used some fox farm happy frog, ocean forest, 1/8 & 3/4 in volcanic rock, & some moss I harvested. This mix is fast draining but still holds some moisture. Light is another vital part of growing healthy plumeria. I give my plumies all the sun they can get, & I'm rewarded with amazing color in my plants! A couple years ago I got a bad case of sunburn, down to the inner stalk, so I learned to cover my plumerias durring the really hot days. Plumeria love hot weather, I've noticed mine will gladly take heat in the hundreds. Unfortunately they don't like cold, so when the nights get below 45 degrees, it's time to bring them in the house. Watering, in my experience can range from weekly, to almost daily, depending on conditions. It was 106 for five or six days straight right before my plants bloomed this year so I was giving them water every day. I've noticed a bit of vertical leaf curl, not sure if its from water because my cactus mix is fast draining. Anyway, the colors are absolutely breathtaking this year! As far as rooting goes, I make a fresh cut at a 45 degree angle with a razor blade. Then I make a few verticals cuts with a potatoe peeler to provide more area for rooting. After that, I walk to the back yard & grab a fresh aloe stalk. I filet it and scoop all the gel out into a blender & add some water. I poor the mix into a bowl & add some fulvic acid, potassium silicate, & some blackstrap molasses. Then mix . Following that, I dip the fresh cut stalk into the mix. Some people like to use clonex or root tome, but I find this mix is far superior. I had some old root tone lying around so I threw it on for the heck of it. Finally I plant it in a clear plastic pot with holes drilled into the bottom. the clear plastic provides a humid enviornment for the roots, whereas the holes allow for oxygen & watering from the bottom. dont forget to add an egg under the stalk before you plant! Regarding fertalizer, I don't buy in to all the hype that a lot of plumie guys preach about fertalizers with high npk. These things not only kill the bacterial life in your soil, but also will lock up the nutrients over time! I mix fish emulsion, Jamaican bat guano, kelp meal, fulvic acid, & some black strap molasses (to feed all the hungry bacteria in my soil). Sometimes I switch it up & throw some potassium silicate in there. The npk of the mix, without the potassium, is about 10-12-20. I give them compost tea a few times a year & some enzyme tea once in a while. I fertalize once a week. This mix has worked very well for me! If any of you would like to get a look at my plants, check out my post, "Help with identification" on 7/9/13. The colors are really amazing this year! Hope my experience growing plumeria in the SF Bay Area is helpful to someone! Peace

Hello everyone and welcome newbies! Had to take DH for his kidney stones procedure yesterday. He's OK, but needs someone in the house with him. I've got him set up in the guest room on our second level, so I can keep an eye on him while I am in our office working. He had two on the left and they found another two on the right side, so I need to make another appointment to get them all blasted. Lots of drama going on with my brother lately. My sister and I made some decisions that was difficult for me, but it's time I let him fly on his own. I feel better about it, because he has not really had any brother-sister relationship with me and does not want it now. He simply does not have any emotional support to give, so he will fly or fall. Will let you all know more about it when some things are settled. My counselor wanted me to get mad and stay mad at him, and I am finally getting some peace with that! Can you believe it? She told me that if anyone treated me as badly as I treat myself, there would be a restraining order against them! I don't always see it that way, but she's the expert! Gotta run; I'm working from home, and my e:mail keeps ringing. Make this day count! Hug your family! Take care, eat healthy, and NEVER NEVER GIVE UP! DeeMarie PS: Marci, can you come over with all your energy and help me with closets? LOL