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| Dailies 8x10 Templates by creashens |
One afternoon I heard one above me as I walked with my laundry. I stopped under the tree and searched the sparse branches. There! I saw him, chalkboarding away. The feathers around his face were fluffed up a bit, in a funny way. Funny because it looked like he had thin twin horns sticking out, one from each side of his face. I was not being stealthy as my laundry bag hit against the half-wall behind me. But the bird completely ignored me. It was only then that I noticed there was another hummingbird perched on a branch about six inches away. A female I think, and the male was screeching away at her. Did she like that sound he blared right in her face? As I contemplated that thought, they suddenly darted away at great speed. Did she retreat and he chased? Or did he lunge and she fled?
I think the birds that have stuck around are mostly males, making their apparently never ending mating calls. Although ... why would they make mating calls if there are no females around? Maybe the females are here too but are keeping warm in their nests. Maybe withstanding the cool weather is a hummingbird sing of virility. I think the birds in the summer were females feeding their babies, explaining why they were constantly visiting the feeder all day long. Those are my guesses anyway.
Lately the hummingbirds come to the feeder so infrequently that I haven't attempted to take any pictures. But today I gave it a shot and was happy with the result. Although, as you can see, no feeder shots; only tree shots. Not quite a partridge in a pear tree, but nice nonetheless. Merry Christmas!
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| Dailies 8x10 Templates and Juan Carlos & Fifi Kit by creashens; Far and Away by Gennifer Bursett; layout composition inspired by Captured Moments layout by bcgal00 |
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