After my last post, one comment (on Facebook) wished me well and good luck getting a photo of the three birds I described (so great to hear from you Chris!!!) The next day, I decided to sit outside and see if I could get some shots. I got several illustrative videos and photos of Hummingbird Fight Season. The videos are short but you can see the chaos. These birds are so beautiful and so territorial.
I’ll start with the photos. Pic 1: A bird lands and another approaches (upper right). Bird one is aware that an attack is imminent which you can see by his posture. Pic 2: Incoming. Pic 3: Shortly thereafter both were gone. Click each photo to see a larger picture.
This is what happens most of late July and August.
I hope you’ll watch the videos below. They are short and show more of the scene I’m describing. It’s chaos. There’s lots of dancing in air, after the dancing in the plants that I couldn’t capture. The first video features their preferred plant for this time of the year, the Candy Corn Vine. The flowers look just like the Halloween candy we know. The second video starts with my favorite plant, the Hummingbird Mint. It’s ethereal and dreamy looking.
Amazing! I love the videos. I never knew they could be so territorial! We had one stuck in our garage last month and had the hardest time coaxing it out but eventually he found his way out. Thank goodness! Love your shots and posts!!
Awww, always good to hear from you!! Yes, it seems like late July is always Hummingbird Fight Season. I wonder if it’s because the young males born that season become adolescents…