Date: 09/12/2009

Number: 1

REpeatedly saw two hummingbirds coming to my feeder today. I thought I only had one left. It has been cold here so they have not been as obvious. They battled a few times, and scouted each other a few times-to make sure the coast was clear for eating. They are fattening up and they are getting color, turning a beautiful green. I don't see any red on the necks though. They eat, then move up to sit in the tree for a few moments and then they go about their business and return a short time later. I have not seen them at the flowers that are left, but my yard is filled with pink crape myrtles, coneflowers-white and pink- impatients, a red geranium, orange and red marigolds, pink and purple pentas, stella doro daylilies, heliopsis, and some purple verbena...so there are other plants that they might be visiting. They are funny. They get territorial about their feeder sometimes. They fend off the purple finches, goldfinches, tufted titmouse and chickadee birds by blocking their way, buzzing them, and spreading their tails and flapping their wings to look bigger and tough. It is pretty funny to think how successful this behavior is at keeping the other birds away from the feeder...but of course the other birds aren't interested in the hummers feeder at all, only the bees are. My hummer ocassionally takes the time to come over to the screen wall on the screen house to take a look at me sitting in there. The feeder is maybe four feet away from the screen, but it comes directly to look right in at me. I would never have expected this...but I should n't be surprised the other birds start tweeting to each other when I come out to fill the feeders.

Tyaskin, MD

Latitude: 38.3 Longitude: -75.9

Observed by: therese
Contact Observer

The observer's e-mail address will not be disclosed.
Contact will be made through a web-based form.