Date: 08/17/2021

Number: 35

I was working on my flowers on the side of my yard. I still had plants in cells that needed to go in my hanging planters, so I was sitting at a little table in the shade.

One of my hummingbird feeders was about 6 feet away from me, hanging on an oak tree branch. That branch is long and slender and I have cut the leaves off of it so that the hummers can rest there.. Plenty of other branches with leaves are around to shade the feeder and provide shelter from enemies.

As I was planting, I saw a male ruby throated hummingbird stop to get a drink and then perch on the narrow branch to rest.
I was happy that he wasn't bothered by me sitting there and continued planting.

Well, soon other hummers began to approach the feeder and that guy would have none of it. He just chased everyone away. I was used to this behavior at my feeders and figured he'd be gone soon enough....

Was I wrong!!! That little bully stayed there for FIVE STRAIGHT HOURS..... Yes, he did. He would get a sip of nectar every once in a while and then go back up to his throne to guard "his" feeder.

He would turn his back so that the juvies would think he didn't see them coming, and as soon as they reached the flowers he would turn on them chattering away and everyone would zip around my head!

He would pick a branch with leaves and hide behind them so no one knew he was there. When a female would come fluttering by, he would dive bomb her before she knew what was happening!! Thank goodness I had a garden hat on because he scared the poop out of some of these poor birdies and I got the result.

The juvies came in threes. I guess they were a hummer gang. Anyway, I think they got tired of being chased away and one time they sneaked up behind the king of nectar and rammed into him all at once!!!

That just made him mad and he went after them and chased them all over the yard. I heard him bang into one and the chattering was unbelievable!

I didn't have my phone with me or I would have gotten pictures and videos galore. I got up and down very carefully to get things but didn't want to scare the hummers away by going inside the house.

After 5 hours, almost 8:00, I decided to go inside. The emperor of mean was still perched high on his branch and 2 hummers were chasing each other so close to me that I heard their bodies collide in mid-air......

They must have been from the other feeder! I'm sure that was a completely different story......

Belle Haven, VA

Latitude: 37.6 Longitude: -75.8

Observed by: Sherry
Contact Observer

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