Skydiver Yes hummers do exist in the Chicago area. I have several mmembers in the Chicago area. Not all bee Balm and salvias will attract hummers. I have only found one perennial salvia that they use Salvia azurea which is native to many parts of the northeast. There are a couple others that are half hardy and in the right location and enough winter protection they may be hardy. Some salvia greggiis. and Savia reptans fall into that category. Many of the bee Balms are more attractive to the bees. The best one I have found for hummrs is the Jacob's Cline. I have removed all my others. There are people all around the country that normally have decent hummer populations that are wondering where they are this year. If they arrived in the area late they may have started to nest right away so you may not see them unless you are up before dawn or just before sunset. Mine were 3 weeks late returning this year. I do get up at 5a.m. and usually see them around 5:10. Feel free to contact me off list. Penny

You are not alone. I've been noticing the leaves on my dahlia and penstamon were disappearing. I'd studied the plants but found no bugs nearby. Then, today looking out my window that is near the thistle bird feeder, I noticed the birds that were waiting for an opening on the feeder. They were congregated on my dahlia and penstamon, biting off edges of the leaves. There are leaves all over those two plants in various stages of hole-ness. I wondered that they did not eat the quince leaves right above, or the lilac bush right next to them but they were definitely making mincemeat of my other two bushes. Not a seed situation, but leaf-eating, pure and simple.

i figured out the change in plummage on the yellow finches while in philadelphia a few yrs ago. they had me going for a while. the funny thing is, i had a finch feeder out all summer and virtually no finches. now they are tearing it up. blue birds come to feed in the yard every other day. they swoop down on hoppers and bugs. i know they like meal worms. food of that type in the winter here has to be rare. guess they move on. i have seen what appears to be a tangerine finch?! william yellville

I only get a few House Sparrows here but would find a horde of them intolerable and would remove the feeders (especially during the summer/fall, when food is more abundant for birds). There are more active measures you can take if you are willing. I have a BB gun but have never been able to hit one, however I have trapped a few with an inbox trap when Bluebirds were nesting in my yard. I would definitely remove the English Sparrow nests and discourage them from nesting in the Arborvitaes. Another thing I read you can do, is flush the birds from the arborvitaes on very cold nights. They will be unlikely to find new cover after dark and will be vulnerable to predators and hypothermia.