Hummingbirds!

It was not 'luck' that I live in the country. This was so important to me I even adjusted what I did for a living so as to be able to live in a remote area. You are right that living in the country has many advantages. Hummingbirds are but one of the advantages. There's deer, rabbits, letting the dog run loose, flying a kite if I want, low crime rate, and a police force that still regards themselves as the servants of the population rather than their zookeepers. Country living is nice!

Thank you for your best response. I know it has to be a deliberate decision to live in the country. I have friends who live in the country and when I retired they encouraged me to buy into this new development of where 2 acre lots were sold with an option to build a house. The thing is this was in Quebec and 450 km from where my family lives in Ontario. The issue was not the province but what country living entails in a harsh climate. You need a septic tank, a pump to get the water into your house, at least two sources of heat, one being a wood stove and most people also have a generator since there are ice storms on a regular basis in the winter and the power can be out for days. You also need to hire a guy with a snow plow to come and plow your road or drive way down to the main road which is serviced by the municipality. My friends offered to help me if in need but since I am living by myself I thought it would be tiresome for them and I would outlive my welcome. Instead I bought a condo at the edge of a major city where my son lives. I am so fortunate there is a vast stretch of undeveloped parkland at my door. It used to be a training ground during the 2nd world war, and a 13km trail along the lake shore. I walk every day and have seen squirrels, rabbits, birds, Canada geese, migratory swans such as tundra swans and trumpeter swans, raccoons, mink, beaver, muskrat and a mute swan carcass that was killed by a coyote the night before. Some people tell me they saw a deer with a fawn and also coyotes. Last Friday it was raining but I decided to walk anyway. I came across a mangy starved fox, hobbling along on three legs. It looked at me and stood still. I got scared because I thought it might be rabid, I grabbed a branch and the fox ran away. So I guess this is not exactly the country but it gives me some pleasure.

Argh... I would never live in a cold climate. I was raised in Michigan which is too cold and spent 6 weeks in Alaska as part of Infantry Combat Team looking into how to defend the pipeline back near the time it was built. Most of that was outdoors in December. No, thanks! I've seen all the cold weather I want in my lifetime. It is also not an accident I live in the south.

The best stray cat feeder I've ever seen is either a bird house or a bird feeder on too low of a pole such that it is very close to the ground. I very much like cats, but they do kill too much for no apparent good reason.

Very true and amusing! On a serious note though; I agree that cats cause irreparable damage to wildlife; and it has been an issue in Australia for a long time.

Here where I'm at in northern Arkansas the hummingbirds arrive about the 1st or 2d week in April and leave about the 1st or 2d week of October. Leaving the feeder up would do no good. It would be nice, though.

The 'hummers' drive our 4 little darling 'kitties' crazy too.

I am jealous. We usually have some by now, but not yet!

One of the things I've learned is that if you want tons of hummingbirds is to put the feeder under some kind of man made shelter. A porch with a roof or a gazebo with a roof are ideal. Hummingbirds will more frequent a feeder with some protection from the elements than even a feeder under a tree.

I have 4 that have showed up finally! Hope you enjoy yours as much as my wife and I enjoy ours.