Hummingbirds

[dbt]

I watch them every morning from the comfort and safety of my front porch in LA (Lower Arkansas). I have three feeders hanging there and they must service 18 fearless little critters every day.

Never mind that I have not seen this many hummingbirds in my 54-odd years (some odder than others) on this Blessed Earth. There is plenty of juice to go around.

The remarkable thing about these wonderful creatures is that they have survived long enough to reproduce and continue the species in spite of themselves. For it is more important to a hummingbird to drive others away from the food supply than it is to actually obtain the nourishment that my feeders provide.

Their Prime Directive seems to be to spread their little tails to the point at which they resemble a shuttlecock, intimidating their fellows by their exaggerated size and pecking them in the back of their heads if all else fails. THEN, instead of helping themselves to my handmade nectar, they will go and pose on a nearby limb when they could be replenishing themselves for the coming migration!

What group could these little guys POSSIBLY represent, I asks myself. They cannot be Irish, because even the worst of enemies over there will quit their bitching long enough to sit down for a drink together.

Republicans? No way--for they all feed at the same trough and grow fat as pigs.

Democrats? Maybe. THEN, it hit me: hummingbirds are JUST LIKE ALL OF US AT DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND. We will run everyone else away from the food supply so we can make our own little points.

Then, we will be so taken by own our success that we will forget to eat.

Cheers, My Little Birdies!
:beer:
dbt

Remember New Orleans

[MuseRider]

1. LOL

funny. Diving and bombing any one that comes near my trumpet vine. Interesting thoughts.

[Melodybe]

15. We also have a ton of hummingbirds lately

I had five fighting over my feeder the other day.

[Emit]

22. I live in the high desert and have seen more hummingbirds

this year than ever before...

[smurfygirl]

2. I have a ton here too

I was thinking the other day...
Last year they never came. This year I must have about 6 mating pairs just in my trees. All of my neighbors have alot as well.

They have gotten quite used to me and will follow me around my gardens. On even got within 12 inches of my face, just checking me out. They are really using my feeders a ton.

Glad to know someone else is enjoying them...they are so great to have around.



I have been taking pictures of them like crazy but this is the only one I have on the digi. Have to get the other pics developed.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

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[Southsideirish]

5. Nice....

[Cleita]

4. I stopped using feeders and plant nectar rich flowering plants in

my window boxes so I can watch them. I used to worry about if I was giving them too much sugar.

[Rowdyboy]

6. I've talked to a "hummingbird expert" who said the sugar is great for them

I have flowering hummingbird plant around my 8 feeders and they seem to hit both at random. Some are quite territorial and stake out individual feeders but the flowers are spread all over the garden so no one goes hungry. They especially like Turk's Turban (I have six!)

[Cleita]

7. Looks like you have a nice garden.

:-) I'm redesigning and replanting mine for next spring.

[Rowdyboy]

8. Myself....We've just put in a 60 foot bed of perennials and shrubs...

heavily mulched and pretty much self maintaining (replaced a row of scrub trees on the west side of the house. Now, we're going to redesign every bed in the yard to be as low maintenance as possible. Its too damned hot in Mississippi to do anything else. I work like hell all fall, winter and to have a nice spring garden. Then-in mid-June its too miserably humid with temps in the mid-90's. I'm not gonna work under those conditions, so weeds grow like crazy from mid-June to mid-September when you can breathe outside again.

Right now, everything but the new bed is a mess. The cycle begins again but I'm gonna do it differently this time.

[kestrel91316]

13. The nectar is supposed to be healthier for them. The feeders make them

into "winos", somebody once said, lol! I think my hummers prefer my Mexican bush sage to the feeders anyway.

[Cleita]

14. I use sage, lavender, petunias and honeysuckles.n/t

[kestrel91316]

18. I have lavender, too, and I think they like some of my other perennials

Rosemary also, when it blooms

[Silverhair]

9. I put the feeders where they can't be seen from each other.

Remember, they are are following an evolutionary program that formed from feeding on flowers, not from feeders supplied by humans.

So if a hummer finds a bush with a lot of nice flowers on it, he guards it. Once nectar has been taken from a flower, it will be some time before that same flower is ready again. So a generous supply of flowers must be protected.

I love watching them and their antics as they chase each other. Rarely do I manage to see one approaching, they just seem to materialize.

Do you know that they eat bugs too? Nectar gives them the energy boost they need to catch tiny insects, which are the true main part of their diet.

[FreedomAngel82]

10. I love hummingbirds

[Toucano]

11. They're more concerned with driving away others because

There's an abundance.

I know that seems counter-intuitive, but it's true.

The never-ending supply of food you've created means the hummers have the necessary energy to exert for the purpose of defending this bounty. If it were the true, natural, limited supply, they would be more focused on feeding and less on chasing away others. They simply wouldn't have the energy to chase.

In the natural world, even male hummers have been observed with territories that may consist of a single branch in a bush with others very close by. It's very interesting because you might also observe that human societies often display aggression when they are rich and powerful.

You've created an unnatural environment. Just as Bush being "president" of the US is an unnatural environment. Creatures behave differently than they might otherwise do in these circumstances. Perhaps that explains much of the unexpected behavior we witness on DU.

[Mr_Spock]

12. We have an abundance of big plump brains

...and we like the taste of brains too :evilgrin:

[spuddonna]

16. Mmmm, brains...

Must absorb information from DU brains... not enough hours in day... succulent brains... Oh, and pretty birds, too!

LOL Thanks for the 'what am I doing on DU at this hour, I need to go to bed' last minute quickie laugh!! :)

[zippy890]

17. unnatural abundance of food

fascinating insight.

Our abundantly corrupt & criminal government creates a daily source of outrage. Theres so much too deal with it creates stresses within the groups of people who want reform.

Oh for the days when we could trust our government to handle problems appropriately so we wouldn't have to worry about every little thing getting screwed up.

Hmmm, to extend this analogy - maybe this over-abundance of corruptness causes Tinfoil Hat Syndrome in particularly sensitive humans?

[blindpig]

19. funny though

I've visited some hummingbird "hot spots" in the Southwest and south of the border and it seems the sometimes multi species assemblages get along better than our anal Ruby-throats. I've got a recent photo of 1/2 dozen Violet-crowned behaving in a civil manner at the same feeder. Perhaps this aggression is to some degree species specific?

[Toucano]

23. The species may be a factor, but it isn't just hummingbirds that display

this characteristic. Ruby-throats may be more aggressive than some other species, but you have to also consider most of our observations of them are around feeders that are constantly filled. Observations in the field without human intervention are likely more valid.

Having plenty of food gives other animals energy to fight for a lion's share, too though.

Hummingbirds are an especially good example because of the enormous energy they require just to maintain a pulse. If there's not enough, they don't waste any.

[mnhtnbb]

20. Hummer fan here in Chapel Hill, NC

I have two feeders that I put out in mid-April and have a steady stream of hummers until mid-Sept. I get a little sad every year about now knowing they will soon be gone for their migration.

I've had as many as 6 hummers dive-bombing each other to assert their territory. Actually, we thought they were more like Republicans, unwilling to share when there's plenty to go around.

We thought the penguins (March of the Penguins) were much more like Dems, having figured out that it takes a community, helping each other, to raise those cute little furry ones.

Interesting, isn't it, that one species of bird exhibits sharing and another species wants control?

[seemslikeadream]

21. I feed my friends apples dbt

http://eclectech.co.uk.nyud.net:8090/b3ta/penguinapple.gif


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