bbrowner Loc: Chapel Hill, NC

It seems to be a great year for hummers… at least here in Chapel Hill. Since putting up a 2nd feeder, about 4 yards from the first… and putting up ant moats… my usual two hummers have have multiplied to about seven… as best as I can count. It is really quite something to watch.

Now we have been seeing more than a lot of hummer pics posted. Honestly… they all (with variation) look alike… if they are good pics… and the bad ones also look alike.

Due to the nature of the hummers… and their feeding habits… the pictures we post are all singles. I have tried, in vain, to get good shots of two (or more) hummers together.

My challenge to you is to take and post pics of two or more hummers together… over the next few days. Could be fun. I hope you have a lot of patience!

Barry

DIRTY HARRY Loc: Hartland, Michigan

My experience tells me you may get a male/ female pair together but mostly I see them fighting, no matter how many feeders I put out, over territory and the feeders. I've seen pictures with people feeding a bunch of the little guys together, but my experience tells me they must be doctored photographs because mine just don't get along with each other. If there is more than one hummer in the area of a feeder there's usually a aerial war going on. I've seen them run into each other, bump each other off feeders and in general be quite rude to one another, I have also seen a hummer push a Bold Faced (?) Hornet, nearly as large as he was, face first into a feeder and then rum off. He did this several time until the hornet finally, I assume, got pissed and left the feeder. It was a very funny interaction to watch. I have hummers come up to less than a foot of my face while I was trying to change our or refill a feeder. They have little fear. We watched a hummer, during a cold rain storm, fall off a feeder and land on our deck. We retrieved the little guy , tried to dry him off and put him under cover in warm surroundings (probably the wrong thing to do) but he recovered and flew off when things warmed up. Interesting little shits though and we are sad to see them stop coming to our feeders in the fall and look forward to them returning in the spring. I usually put our feeders out in early April 'cuz you never know just when they are going to show up. I'm pretty sure they can swear as well because if you try to take a feeder or another hummer invades what they think is their territory the get pretty vocal. You can never put out too many feeders because they will always be fighting over anything you put up

MJL Loc: Wild Rose, Wisconsin

We have the same situation that DIRTY HARRY described at our feeders as well. The archives on my computer contain quite a few photos of hummingbirds but only one with two in the same frame. This shot was taken during the type of altercation DIRTY HARRY was explaining. However, it is not a recent shot. It is from 2016.

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pjreed Loc: Tonopah, Arizona

I love the hummers, these photos were taken at the Hassayampa River Preserve in Wickenburg, Arizona.
I have seen as many as at least 60 hummers swarming around all the feeders that they have out.

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Sunnybuck Loc: Pleasanton, Kansas

I have seen the same interaction that Dirty Harry describes. They are quite territorial. I have a very tiny feather left from an obvious altercation. I spend most of my time watching and running off the wasps that visit the feeders. Earlier in the spring, we had a run of bees try to take over the feeders. I solved that problem by placing a feeder and a plate full of sugar water on the opposite side of the house just for the bees. I would approximate we had over a hundred bees. It only took them a day and a half to drink the feeder full and plate empty. My goal this summer was to stop photograph action of hummer wings. The following are a couple of my attempts. Not exactly successful, but a valiant try none the less.

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DIRTY HARRY Loc: Hartland, Michigan

I eliminate any problems with the large bold faced hornets with my shop vac. and the two long tubes that came with it.

Sunnybuck Loc: Pleasanton, Kansas

I use a large fly swatter. After a couple kills, they scatter when they see me coming.

Sunnybuck Loc: Pleasanton, Kansas

I'm already called the crazy lady on the corner, because I put rain umbrellas over my hummer feeders. I would hate to think what they would call me if I went around the feeders chasing hornets and wasps with a shop vac.

DIRTY HARRY Loc: Hartland, Michigan

When the end of the tube gets near the feeder they are on, they make the mistake of trying to do battle with it. BIG mistake. One sec. they are there and the next you hear them shoot down the tube. I'm sure it's a rough ride. Just watch out for the birds.

Sunnybuck Loc: Pleasanton, Kansas

And the chase is on.

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vlightbody Loc: Colorado Springs

I just moved and so miss my little friends...... but here is one from earlier this month.