Hummingbird Fight!
Recently I noticed some hummingbirds around the flowers at my house so I bought a feeder to hang on my deck.
For the first few days it led to happy times sitting watching the cute little buggars hum by to drink the red sugar water.
But today a huge brawl broke out between two of them! One is bigger than the other and whenever the smaller one came to drink it would ram into it HARD, and chirp(!) chasing it away! At one point it literally tackled the poor little guy, pulled it out of the air and tried to stuff it between the boards of my deck!
The whole rest of the day, the dominant hummingbird hung around the feeder guarding it. The smaller one snuck in for a few quick drinks, but most of the time it got it's butt kicked!
Nature sites on the internet said to put another feeder away from the other, but I'll never look at these seemingly genteel woodland sprites the same way again!
Jeff
[ 09-17-2002: Message edited by: jeffyboy ]</p>
For the first few days it led to happy times sitting watching the cute little buggars hum by to drink the red sugar water.
But today a huge brawl broke out between two of them! One is bigger than the other and whenever the smaller one came to drink it would ram into it HARD, and chirp(!) chasing it away! At one point it literally tackled the poor little guy, pulled it out of the air and tried to stuff it between the boards of my deck!
The whole rest of the day, the dominant hummingbird hung around the feeder guarding it. The smaller one snuck in for a few quick drinks, but most of the time it got it's butt kicked!
Nature sites on the internet said to put another feeder away from the other, but I'll never look at these seemingly genteel woodland sprites the same way again!
Jeff
[ 09-17-2002: Message edited by: jeffyboy ]</p>
Comments
we have groups of hummers that live down by the rio grande part of the year...they are very protective of there home area and will dart down at you to try and drive you away...they don't do that at my home as they are much more timid (at least to humans, not to each other....and dang they are noisy for being so small)
[ 09-17-2002: Message edited by: thegelding ]</p>
ok called rufous...and red head not breast (mixing up robins i guess)---from hummingbird.net:
Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)
Often described as "feisty," the Rufous may have the ideal size-to-weight ratio among North American hummingbirds. This bird outflies all other species, and usually gets its way at feeders at the expense of slower, less-maneuverable hummers. The Rufous has the longest migration route of all US hummingbirds
and these are the calm ones that start the hummingbird season (at least in my backyard)
[ 09-17-2002: Message edited by: thegelding ]</p>
Ruby-throated if I'm identifying right.
I wish I'd noticed them earlier in the year-I'm going to try to get them on my camcorder.
Gelding, the blue one in your post looks really beautiful, I wonder if they get up here (Iowa.)
Jeff
Edit-Yeah, it only took a couple days, and I can sit like 3 feet from the feeder-they act like I'm not there at all. Really cool!
:cool:
[ 09-18-2002: Message edited by: jeffyboy ]</p>
They were not afraid of you so I could take photos really close up.
-alcimedes
Jeff