Hummer Games

 

I love being home.  I love being in my home.  This may not be apparent based on the amount of time I’ve spent here in the last 4 months, but it is, nevertheless, true.

One of my favorite things about my home is my deck.  For many years I only loved the screened in porch and didn’t pay any attention to the deck at all, but in the last few years it’s become the focus of my flower planting attention.  My favorite part of the deck is this corner,

complete with pink mandevilla, several pots of gerbers, petunias, impatiens, hummingbird feeders, and this year a butterfly bush too.

This year the hummingbirds have been even more active than last year.  I have loved watching them as they feed, and as they chase each other around the deck and yard.  (True fact—hummingbirds average speeds of 20-30 mph, but during courtship dives can go 6omph.  They really zip by!)

This summer we’ve also put a feeder right in the window over the sink.  I was a little dubious about whether or not the hummers would come that close to the window (and therefore us,) but come they have.  They often keep the feeder between them and us, but we’re still able to get a close (and short) look at them quite often.

This evening after the winds from Hurricane Irene had died down the hummers were particularly active.  At least four of them were zipping around the deck like crazy, stopping to feed and then chasing each other back and forth.  I tried to take some pictures but there wasn’t enough light, and a flash from the inside doesn’t work.  I decided to try taking some video and I couldn’t believe how much I was able to videotape.  The hummingbirds often perch on the feeders, and on the bars above the small feeders, but tonight several of them were also perching in the butterfly bush.  I put together all of the clips, and slowed them down so you can actually see them fly.  Towards the middle you can see two hummers sitting in the butterfly bush at the same time, something I’ve definitely not seen before.  I hope you enjoy the video as much as I enjoyed watching them!