Ahhhhhhhhhhh, the peaceful, serene scene of a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird pausing for a moment at the feeder ..... right??
WRONG! The hummingbird wars are back!
While we had a few stragglers stay with us during the summer, there is nothing like spring and fall migrations of these little dive-bombers as they compete for feeders and chase each other around, chirping and kissing and telling each other off. They body slam each other and then fly off in tandum with the precision of two military fighter jets... one slightly behind the other, rising and falling while weaving in and out of trees and bushes, many times buzzing through the porch past our heads.
We've added additional feeders, not so much for the numbers of birds, but so that "Mr. Bigshot" can't possibly control ALL of them...... oh, but how he tries. Last nite he allowed only one other bird to feed to her little heart's desire. He would fly down and circle her and then fly back up to his watchtower. We determined that she must belong to him ... she is now "The First Lady".
Fall hummingbird migration. A sign of things to come. Shorter days, cooler nights, fall gardens, a renewed energy, impending holidays ... I love fall.
That is a beautiful pic!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, I love hummingbirds, they are so cute.. But they do dive bomb ya, Ive had them smack into my head before.. Its crazy..
ReplyDeleteHi Deb, thanks for stopping by Hill Country Mysteries and IDing our visiting pied-budgie!!! I was tickled to follow your profile here and find your site.
ReplyDeleteWe're in the middle of ruby-throat migration too, isn't this the best time of year?