Date: 08/31/2019

Number: 2

I’ve spent much of the last week watching the hummingbirds battle it out over my handful of feeders. A male Anna’s hummingbird staked out the eastern half of my small suburban back yard, while a female Black Chinned and her juvenile claimed the western half. The Anna’s seemed content sipping from the sugar water feeders we have positioned around the yard, as did the juvenile Black Chinned, while the female Black Chinned seemed to prefer the blue, tubular salvias available to her. Then today, the male Anna’s attempted to claim the entire yard, chasing away any hummer who dared sip from any of the half-dozen feeders we have. Eventually the juvenile got bolder, chasing away the Anna’s. At one point, he rocketed into the sky and dive-bombed the Anna’s several times in a row, much like the hummingbird courting ritual I’ve had the good fortune to observe.

I thought the male Black Chinned had already moved on, as I have not laid eyes on one all week. But lo and behold, daddy made a brief appearance today, sipping from the juvenile’s preferred feeder! Very exciting.

Rancho Cordova, CA

Latitude: 38.6 Longitude: -121.3

Observed by: Ray
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