Last week, as I crouched down near the back porch photographing a host of insects visiting a patch of fleabane, I heard a loud hum from just behind me.
I did a slow crouching pivot so I was facing the coral honeysuckle behind me and there was the hummingbird just six feet away ... yes!
Then suddenly, there were two! This resulted in a lot of loud loopy flying by both and an extreme amount of hummingbird swearing.
I don't speak hummer, but I know swearing when I hear it.
This was not bird "song" let me tell you.
At some point, they agreed to disagree, and one of them went to the nearby East Palatka Holly tree and perched. The other one continued slurping honeysuckle nectar.
Pretty serendipitous. I got my fleabane photos and a few bonus hummingbird pics.
Bah! Humbutt!
12 comments:
FC-
Hummingbirds always remind me of my grandma and grandpa in Emma, Mo.
Grandma always had honeysuckle growing outside her kitchen window and we could watch the birds dipping into it! They were so cool! Will be incomunicado for a few weeks, heading to China on Friday! Tell all hello.
Lightnin
I swear I'm going to come down there and take your punning dictionary away! I mean it! (But I certainly won't take your camera.)
Up here in NW Georgia, our first hummingbird announced its presence by its hum about two weeks ago. I think they must still be migrating up here, though, because so far we have seen only a couple, and infrequently.No swearing so far.
I would love to see a hummingbird...sigh..I don't think they would want to visit concrete county though.
Humbutt, LOL! Great pics. They are pugnacious little critters, aren't they?
A perfect hummer moment. I was watching two hummers duke it out on our feeder the other day. It occurred to me that the one that was throwing a fit lost valuable slurping time, while the one being hassled managed to drink a bit before zipping off. They are definitely pugnacious little things.
LOL at 'Bah Humbutt' :) Awesome pics.
You made me smile right out loud at that bah humbutt! Great photos!
Hummingbird swearing...haha! Those little buggers sure can cuss up a storm. I can't wait till they arrive here.
Lightnin,
Be careful and have fun. Try not to get arrested for espionage.
Pablo,
Do they really make such a thing?
Think of the possibilities!
Mark,
I haven't seen these for a few days... since these photos actually.
Dani,
I imagine they are few and far between there.
Sad, isn't it?
Rurality,
Pugnacious is spot on. They are all that and more!
Robin,
Good for the calm one! Why waste energy when you can slurp it?
Sharon,
It was the best I could come up with ...
3C,
Thanks!
Deb,
I think they are on their way. Probably taking it slow to give you guys a chance to thaw out.
Still waitng on their arrival here, too. Fascinating to watch. They always make me think of the old Biplane pilots droping out of the clouds after their rivals.
Cool shots,
Bro J
Hummingbirds (and Bluebirds, and Barred Owls, and...) are sought after species around here. I planted red trumpetflowers and lobelia cardinalis to accompany the obligatory feeders. You can see the dominant area male sit and watch over "his" territory from atop a pine tree from the back window. They chatter and dive bomb each other a lot, but they're still cool in my book - certainly no worse (and less destructive) than the hundreds of carpenter bees.
Great pictures of a tough subject.
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