All summer long I enjoy watching the bright green, ruby throated hummingbirds flit around our feeder. One swoops in and drinks greedily until another bird appears and chases it away so the newcomer can guzzle the sweet nectar.
They retreat to a nearby crape myrtle bush and perch on a branch blending in with the oval green leaves that are nearly their size. When another bird nears the feeder the camouflaged one zooms out of hiding with tail feathers fully fanned to warn the intruder against sampling any nectar. Frequently, the attacker doesn’t even take a drink–just returns to his secret spot to await the next unsuspecting interloper. It is like watching a mini Battle of Britain on my deck.
They are so busy keeping one another from eating that I wonder how they get enough fuel to provide all their energy. A large feeder will last a week or more at the height of the battles.
Then something happens to dramatically change their behavior. The Hummingbird’s Almanac says it is time for cooperation. They need to tank up to prepare for the long journey dodging hurricanes across the Gulf to their winter homes in Mexico and Central America. When that time comes, you know cooler weather can’t be far behind.
The birds begin sharing with one another. Often every “flower” at the feeder has a long beak inserted in it drinking the liquid sweetness as fast as possible. A large feeder lasts two days or less. You can actually see the little green bodies growing plumper day after day.
Cooperation is in full swing already this year. Toward the last days of their Alabama stay I’ve seen all four slots filled with birds and four birds hovering over them waiting for their turn. It looks like the holding pattern over Atlanta’s airport in miniature.
As blistering hot as our summer has been, I’m not ready for winter yet. This morning it was only in the high 60’s. But the Farmer’s Almanac agrees with my hummingbirds. It’s predicting a little earlier arrival for a winter that’s to be shivery, wet, slushy, and colder than normal. I don’t like the sound of that! Especially not the slushy–you can’t have slush without snow–right? Ugh!!
I’ll leave my feeder up until I don’t see any hummers for at least two weeks. Want to make sure any stragglers are well fed too. Wishing you a sweet ending to summer.
BONUS: Click on this link to see info on my friend, Christy Adams’ devotional for parents coming out Sept 21. It’s available for pre-ordering now.
https://www.spinningromance.com/devotions-for-parents/
Special thanks to all of you who purchased “Polly’s List ” and had such kind words for my first novel. Enjoy!
Enjoyed Polly’s List. Can’t wait until your next one.
What a beautiful post, Kim! I love watching our hummingbirds and have taken to giving them names. They continue to fight over their food territory and some even stay during the winter. I’m really blessed to have them year-round in my part of California.
What a lovely post! We have two hummingbird feeders that we can see from our kitchen and lots of plants that they like. They are so fun to watch! It’s amazing how consistent they are. They usually arrive in our area in September and stay for awhile before continuing their migration.
I’m glad Polly’s List is getting great reviews! I so enjoyed the characters! 🙂
Fabulous 👌
Love this! I have hummingbird thunderdome every evening in NJ. The ither night I needed to decompress and found a documentary on hummingbirds. Fascinating creatures. Than you for sharing. I’m looking forward to feading your book. D.
My hummingbirds act in similar ways, and it’s so much fun to watch. I can often tell them apart, too, so it’s fun to see who arrives when and how they each behave. Enjoy!
Thank you for sharing such delightful articles in your blog, Kim. Such enjoyable reading!!!
So ready for Fall! Re-reading Polly’s List. Was so excited I read it too fast the 1st time 😁
Happy Fall! Stay warm.
I’m enjoying Polly’s List.