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Great pics patsi! I too have had minimal hummer activity. In the past, regardless of the racket the starlings made at the suet feeder, or the large number of goldfinches at my feeder and on the plants, I'm only seeing a hummer, once a week IF I'M LUCKY! I've only seen one male and one female. The last few years, I'd see at least one once a day. This year it's definitely killing me, not seeing them daily. I've had a robin nest in the forsynthia, which is only a few feet away from my feeder, and that never bothered my hummers. I haven't even seen a monarch butterfly yet! Overall, butterfly activity is alot less as well. Few cabbage whites, sparse Eastern Swallowtails, although I have seen a few Black Swallowtails that were kind enough to leave me a load of caterpillars, most of which have been eliminated, probably by wasps. I have already released 2 butterflies & have 5 more chrysalids & 2 more cats still feeding. At least the mosquito population is up (yes, sarcasm), but it's keeping the bats happy, which too, appear to have had their numbers dwindle too :(

Day's right. Cormorants don't have those long legs. It's probably his posture that's throwing you off. You usually see them standing more upright with the neck stretched out. BTW, McSix, cormorants do roost in trees. One of our favourite birding spots has an area where LOTS of them roost. We call the path below 'Ammonia Junction'. >:~] ICA, Sophie ^i^

Yes, Raven, you should tell your neighbor before she loses all her fish and plants. We took numerous steps trying to keep the herons out but were unsuccessful. I don't want to have to completely cover the pond to keep the birds out because that takes away from the enjoyment of it. I do miss my fish and was quite attached to them. The guilt...... Honestly, now thinking about it, I don't think I will do fish again. It was a horrific sight finding the bigger ones torn to shreds.