...the little hummingbirds belly up to the feeders in rapid succession. I'm recognizing different markings on different birds. This little guy hangs around a lot, though, and I've been wondering if he's trying to be territorial with the feeder as he sits on a branch and looks at the feeder, looks around, and then back at the feeder again. Or maybe he's looking at me? Amazing as it is to consider, there are a couple of the birds which I think are adolescent, because they are even more impossibly tiny than the mature ones. They are all amazingly cute. I watched this guy sitting on a branch and guarding the feeder while I talked on the phone to customers Monday. He scratched his head with his right foot, and he tidied up his bill on the branch of the tree.
Lately I've been seeing at least one Ruby Throated male, too, and he's quite stunning. It's amazing how crisp and vibrant his markings are.
They are so lovely. It's a delight to see them. Their sweet, ethereal beauty has been an anodyne to the miseries of the late-summer heat. The coming of the Fall will not be an undiluted pleasure, as I will be sad for them to continue their journey to South America. But I'll look forward to them next year.
