I have hummingbirds nectaring at one of my passionflowers, too.

My passionflowers were gobbled up really early this year by Gulf Fritillary cats and never recovered. Usually it sprouts out again but not this time. I didn't think anything could take out a passionflower vine. But I've never seen hummers on it when it was flowering.

A couple more things I have seen recently:

The first has to fo with the Beautyberry bush, Callicarpa americana. I have read in quite a few books and online articles that while this plant will attract birds, it isn't until mid- to late-winter when all other food sources are depleted that birds will turn to the purple berries. But over the past couple of weeks I have watched as Mockingbirds visit my bushes in the mornings and evenings to pick off a few berries. They aren't hungrily gobbling down all the berries, just picking off a few here and there for a snack. So apparently in the case of Mockingbirds, at least, it doesn't have to be the dead of winter for the Beautyberry to 'work'. Though, with the globes of purple mixed in with all the compact foliage (grown in full sun), mine are 'working' even when not attracting birds.

Second has to do with a Blue Jay I saw yesterday. I have also read that Blue Jays can be bullies or practical jokers, scaring off other birds from feeders with hawk-like calls and I had seen this behavior around the birdbath. Well yesterday I heard a couple of Red-Shouldered Hawks calling back and forth. One was circling overhead and the other was hiding in an oak behind my house. I was having a hard time spotting the one in the oak, which was odd since the oak is either diseased or stressed and not as fully leaved as others in the area. As I tried moving for different angles to find this hawk, I saw a Blue Jay quickly dart from the oak to another nearby that had more foliage. I smirked a bit and thought, "Now who is scared?" But as I continued to scan for the second hawk, I heard it call again, but now from the other oak. Then the Blue Jay flew from that oak to a pine. And the Red-Shouldered Hawk call followed it. This Blue Jay wasn't just making hawk-like calls, it was perfectly mimicing the call of the Red-Shouldered Hawk which kept the actual hawk circling overhead until it got over searching for the hawk that was encroaching on its territory and flew off. I had to laugh that this Joker Jay had intentionally messed with the hawk. Which it kept doing until a Red-Tailed call came in the distance, at which time the Jay promptly shut up.

I've witnessed Jays make that sound before, too. (We have both jays and hawks around here.) Whenever I hear a whole lot of jays or crows carrying on there is either a hawk or an owl around. Another thing I've witnessed: When observing Anoles, I've noticed that if a dove flies into the vicinity, the Anoles don't budge. But if a jay comes around, they immediately hide. It's amazing that something with a brain that size actually knows the difference. Also, I've learned that Anoles are deathly afraid of snakes. If you happen to notice all the lizards high up on the wall and looking down, there is a snake around somewhere.

hi
I have trouble with the jays planting sunflower seeds. Not sure if they have a plan or just accidental bu t obviously they're not eating the seed. Every new pot will have sunflowers lol gary

I used to have hummingbirds that specifically liked my Lavender Lady passiflora flowers. I lost that one early this summer...caterpillars ate it to the ground totally and it didn't come back for some reason. The hummers don't seem to like my other passies for some reason. I really need to find another Lav Lady for them lol.
~SJN

winter killed one passion vine...caterpillars killed two others. Now I grow he native one with the small green/yellow flowers.

Speaking of interesting...I have young sapote and I have found orange dogs (cats) on this plant twice. So when citrus in short supply they will make due with a sapote. Too bad I could not let them eat up my young plant.

I'm sure that most of you know that there are far better plants to attract hummingbirds. Most cupheas and salvias will attract them.

I have a number of different passaflora or passionvines. I have them only to attract butterflies, particularly Zebra Longwings and Gulf Fritillaries.

Yes, Jays and Crows really don't like hawks. In my experience, though, the only ones I've seen really chase the Jays with any hope of getting them are the Sharpies. The red-shoulder and the red-tail are a bit slow. They are better at getting squirrels or rabbits or snakes.

It seems like they all tend to like doves though.

A more recent observation:

Even though it has been three or four months since my breeding pair of Bluebirds have had a clutch in my nest box, every time one of the migrant bluebirds flies over from the birdbaths to investigate the box, one or both of the breeding pair quickly flies in to run off the trespasser. So apparently they are very possessive of their nesting spots, even if they are not actively using them.