This year was the first time I put up hummingbird feeders. I got an awesome deal on a two pack and put one off our deck and one out front. Now we have The Hummer Wars.
When you think of hummingbirds, you tend to think of some type of soft-focus Hallmark image of a tiny bird flitting up to the feeder and delicately drinking. Now that I’ve seen these birds up close in action, I can report that this image is only partially accurate.
Yes, hummers are tiny and delicate, but they are also incredibly territorial. We have a field guide for Western birds, which is a wonderful reference to have around. Unfortunately, figuring out what bird you’re are actually looking at is often almost impossible unless you are a serious birder. (I’m not.) However, we have identified one hummingbird who we call Mr. Rufus. According to our book, he is a Rufous hummingbird (slasphorus rufus), which are easy to identify because they are the only type that have a reddish-brown back.
Anyway, Mr. Rufus has decided that the feeders are HIS and his only. I don’t know if he ever sleeps, but every time I look out the window, he is busy chasing off some low-life green or black hummingbird. The little guy is incredibly vigilant, swooping around the yard chasing off interlopers.
The bird book calls hummingbirds "pugnacious," which the dictionary defines as "excessively inclined to quarrel or fight." But he’s not really fighting, just chasing off other hummers. Maybe it’s just determination. Mr. Rufus is determined to provide for his little fledgling family. And it’s hard to quibble with that.