The hummingbirds are a delight to watch this year. We now have at least 3 (WS says 4, but I've only personnally seen 3) of the wonderous fliers visiting the feeder. There is a mature male and female pair, which I believe are the same pair that set up camp here last year. There is also at least on young female (her colors aren't as bright which leads me to believe she is young).
Hummingbirds don't like other birds at their feeders, and it is no exception with this set. If one of the mature birds is around, he or she will try to drive off the younger female. However, they don't attack as hard as they did other birds last year, which leads me to believe that it may be one of their young that followed them up from their winter home. If the adults' attacks don't drive off the young female the first time, there seems to be an uneasy peace while they sip from opposite sides of the feeder.
All of them have been hitting the feeders hard for the last week or so, which leads me to believe that eggs have hatched and they are trying to keep up with the demands of the youngsters. One of the females actually let me be within 4-5 feet of the feeder as she sipped her meal. I stayed very still while she was there (I had been watering plants on the railing) and was delighted at the close-up view that I had. She was nervous enough that she never perched on the feeder - just fed as she hovered. Fortunately there weren't any cats around to make sudden moves to scare her off.
Speaking of cats, I watched the mated pair buzz Shadow on the deck last night. He was just sitting there while they made a run at him then split to either side of him at the last second. They must have done this before as he just sat there calmly and watched them - didn't try to swat them or anything. Indy however, is so facinated by them that she likes to crouch on the deck railing underneath the feeders. Of course, the hummers won't come by the feeders then (thankfully, she's not a fast cat, but she could get lucky if she decided she wanted one of them).
The humming birds are entertaining to both WS and me. What better way to pay us back for constantly refilling the feeders than to give us a good show?
Around here (NE Pennsylvania), the hummingbird antics get much more intense in the late summer-early fall. The children are more mature and we begin to see aerial acrobatics and dogfights as the hummers (it seems) establish a new pecking order. We have 4 feeders; I adore watching the little birds and always feel so sad when suddenly they depart for the winter.
Posted by: Jackie | June 27, 2004 at 08:01 AM
And all this time I thought you got your entertainment from cable.
You need to get some pictures.
Posted by: Wichi Dude | June 27, 2004 at 01:59 PM
I've had several hummingbirds not afraid of me...and they let me sit within a couple of feet of them. A couple have actually come over and perched on the arm of my chair. It's such a special moment when that happens!
Posted by: Da Goddess | June 29, 2004 at 12:17 AM
WD - I think any pictures would look pretty much like the two I put up last year - very blurry.
Goddess - out here in the country, the birds tend to be much more shy than those that live in the city.
Posted by: bogie | June 29, 2004 at 05:07 AM