Monday, August 08, 2005
Aerial Combat
In these middle days of summer, hot dry conditions persist. This weekend, we had late afternoon thundershowers that both cooled things off and brought much needed rain. Of course, rain in the evening often means fog the next morning. This morning was calm so valleys and low spots were obscured by layered mists.
The hummingbirds are now staging an impressive aerial combat show. There are at least 6 and maybe as many as 8. Counting them is not a trivial matter. The birds are constantly in motion: chittering, bashing, humming, zooming through the porch. Some are brave enough to alight on one of the feeders. Some guard the territory from the clothes line, maple, or power line. One would think that with 3 feeders, one pint of nectar and 6 stations per feeder, they would realize that competition is fruitless and wasteful of energy. I know they are starting to get ready for the fall migration; many of our visitors are recent fledglings. But it doesn't seem to matter, their territorial instincts do not recognize the abundance.
The hummingbirds are now staging an impressive aerial combat show. There are at least 6 and maybe as many as 8. Counting them is not a trivial matter. The birds are constantly in motion: chittering, bashing, humming, zooming through the porch. Some are brave enough to alight on one of the feeders. Some guard the territory from the clothes line, maple, or power line. One would think that with 3 feeders, one pint of nectar and 6 stations per feeder, they would realize that competition is fruitless and wasteful of energy. I know they are starting to get ready for the fall migration; many of our visitors are recent fledglings. But it doesn't seem to matter, their territorial instincts do not recognize the abundance.
