The replies posted so-far are interesting, if only because it seems that the west-coast hummers are either much pickier than those here on the east coast - or maybe it's that they have so much more to pick from on the west coast. The hummer we have here is the ruby-throated hummingbird. They arrive in late April, just when the native Aquilegia canadensis starts to bloom. There are hummers in the area until well into October, although these late season birds may be birds migrating through from farther north. In the same way, the first ones to arrive in April may really be the ones headed for Canada. On rare occasions (but almost every year) rufous hummingbirds are reported form somewhere on the east coast. These are evidently birds which became disoriented during migration. The ruby throat seems to check out everything in the garden. I'm surprised that no one has mentioned how much attention hummers pay to lilies, especially trumpet lilies. Crocosmia 'Lucifer' is also a favorite. So too glads, Tigridia, Gloriosa, Zephyranthes, Habranthus, Polianthes - really, they seem to check out just about anything in bloom. Forget what you may have read about hummers going mainly to red flowers. From what I can see, flower color makes no difference. Jim McKenney Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7, where although we have hummers every year from sometime in April till sometime in October, we never seem to have more than one or two at a time.