Back Yard Antics

If you know me, then you know I LOVE humming birds. When JP and I first moved into our home (almost 6 years ago, now) we would sit on our back deck and watch the birds come and go. We bought bird books. We fed them. We made a space for them to bathe. The trees and shrubs in the yard are great places for birds to perch, feed, and live. However, over the years, the hummers that have started to frequent our yard bring me the most joy to watch. It started with the discovery of the Male Rufus hummingbird. They make the BEST noise when they zip in and out of the yard. We named the males, "Mr. Zippy." I think it might be the same bird that comes back each year. They are the toughest, and the most aggressive hummers in our area. I love to watch their dive displays and "dog fights" with other birds. Male Rufus hummers come in early spring (March) and only stay until early summer(June). The females come later and stay later. (we just saw a female in the yard yesterday) Then, the rest of the summer we are visited by Anna's Hummingbirds. They actually stay all year long.

As I've been sitting here typing on the back patio, we have watched a male Anna's hummer defend the feeder. The two birds swoop and swish around us. The warning clicking makes JP and I look up from our laptops to watch the show. It warms my heart and lifts my soul to watch such speed and movement from something so little. They are flying jewels, beauty in motion, and a sweet kind of magic to me.