Hummingbird in the Fuschias
Hummingbirds
Our Hummingbirds are very busy! As usual, the annual trip south for these wonderful little visitors is going to begin soon, and so we have a little series of hummingbird battles at our feeders. The little things need to fuel up for their flight back south – all the way to South America – and at this time of year, just before they leave, they really start to take in all the food they can!
We have feeders on both sides of the house, so that several can feed at once, as hummingbirds tend to be a bit territorial about their preferred feeding station. We see them sitting peacefully in the trees nearby, but if another hummer comes to feed, the perch quickly becomes abandoned and the intruder is told in no uncertain terms that this feeder is taken! The result is a half dozen hummingbirds at once buzzing around and chasing each other to ensure the food supply is not disturbed. Kind of humorous, really, as the feeder stations could have 6 birds at a time, and I’m sure the energy expended chasing one’s opponents around does not equal the food taken in later – particularly since I keep refilling the tubes every other day!
Other birds are starting to flock up to begin their journey as well. We saw a small flock of shorebirds, mainly semi-palmated plovers, on the beach, as they too fuel up before crossing the Bay of Fundy to begin their long trek south as well.
There is a touch of fall in the air, with nights being a bit cooler, but the birds already know – it’s time to plan for the next season.
