Hummingbirds have discovered my feeder. It’s clear they migrated in, because one day there were none, and the next day there were dozens.
I watch them from my home office window and marvel at their antics. Part of the appeal is that they are so remarkably tiny, as if being small should make it harder to perform their tricks. I watch them zoom in so quickly it’s a wonder they don’t bonk into something. In fact, I hung up a stained glass dragon (yes, I have dragons of all kinds in my house) right in the middle of the big window, to help them see the glass barrier. I’ve seen one hummer bump the glass so far, but no stunned birds yet this season.
They barrel around the big trunk of the tree that holds their feeder, always avoiding collision with each other, though sometimes only by millimeters. They perch on small branches nearby and guard the feeder, chasing off any other hummingbirds that try to sip. But sometimes I’ve seen three at a time, resting on the wire ring and taking leisurely sips every so often. One of their favourite places to sit is upon the Japanese maple that you see above. They sit there for a minute at a time, looking around, occasionally buzzing their wings.
Then zoom! Off they go! First up, then around, then hovering in place without a waver or drift. Two blast through, chasing each other, while two aim for the same spot on the feeder and explode in a burst of angry cheeps when they arrive at the same place at the same time. I have to tell you, angry hummingbird cheeps are the cutest thing ever. They spiral all around my office garden (the garden I tend specifically so that I have something beautiful to look at while I work), hovering near the seed feeder, to see if cracked corn and sunflower seeds are of any interest, then they methodically check each of the other colorful plants, just in case.
My rusted hummingbird feeder seems to get prettier every year. It’s topped with a beach umbrella that was a bit obnoxiously red and white when it was new, but is faded to perfection now. And the rusted metal doesn’t touch any of the sugar-water inside, so I don’t mind it a bit. And the birds don’t seem to mind.
Can you believe they’re birds? So very very tiny.
Conscious Engagement 
Great pics. How did you get them to stay still? 🙂
I threatened to withhold their sugar-water….
🙂
Sorry I’m so late getting here. It’s been a week and a half of oh my goodness. I love your humming birds and the feeder. I keep trying to find a place to put mine. Of course, buying so much sugar and keep up with it is something I’m not sure I’m up to just yet. They are the most impressive creatures ever. Glad you have such a wonderful view from your home office. I’d never get any work done for watching them.
What’s up in your world, keeping you at oh-my-goodness levels? Hope you’re ok. Do you need anything?
They drain this feeder pretty fast, and it’s only because it’s in front of my office that I’m able to keep track of it. I refill it about every 3 days. Whew!
Yes, I do get distracted from work a lot, but that can be a good thing. Sometimes I get too buried in my work and forget to look up for hours. It’s healthy to look out the window and shift the depth of vision and release some eye strain. Also, good for my brain to think about birds instead of sick people.
Wonderful. 😀 I’ve never seen one in real life. You’re so lucky.
I am lucky. Maybe one day I’ll get a video of them, and I’ll let you know so you can come over here and look. I do want to capture their chirps. It’s a distinct sound, though quiet. I hope you get to see a hummingbird one day.
Thanks. 🙂
I love hummingbirds. They are so beautiful to watch. (I heard that there is a special organic feed that is preferrable to sugar water, but can’t recall the details.)
Nice feeder, with metal and glass! Be nice to see your garden too.
Peta
Thank you for your message, Peta. They are so beautiful and delicate I expect them to be genteel, but I’m rather startled and delighted to find that they are fierce and a bit raucous! I have been having fun choosing new plants for my garden that have hummingbird-friendly flowers. 🙂