Terry and I were standing on the deck this afternoon after the rains had passed just looking at the sparse, new growth of grass that has sprung up through the scattered hay when we were buzzed by a pair of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. (Here and here.) As we watched, they went down the side of the house checking every knot in the logs as though they thought the round-shaped object might, just might, offer up some nectar like a respectable flower. Seeing this, I knew it was time to put out the hummingbird feeder.
I know that just two birds won't impress any of our friends who have seen the traffic jam at Joyce's feeders (she has at least 48 stations and there is still a waiting line!), but I will settle for a pair now and maybe two or three more during the summer.
(See these pictures from back in ’05 to get an idea of the hub-bub that goes on on Joyce’s deck.)
2 comments:
Dittoes here in the Appalachian foothills. We just saw our first one in the backyard this week and have put 2 feeders out.
What's still kind of amazing to me is how aggressive those little creatures are towards "strange" hummers that show up and want to feed also. They sure don't like to share!
In fact, it seems downright dangerous at times sitting on the patio as 2 or 3 of them chase each other in and around the backyard and under the patio roof where we're sitting - sometimes buzzing by us with a few feet!
Agressive is right! I've been buzzed while walking along the lawn just for wearing a red shirt!
Sometimes it's difficult to tell the matting flight from a war. The male appears to strafe the poor little female as she cowers near the ground. After a time, she'll make a break for it and he'll give chase. And what a chase! Zooming about the branches of a tree or in and out of the taller plants in the flower bed the performance would put ace pilots (top guns) to shame.
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