skip to main content

Hummingbird Garden

Never saw that before...

17 years ago

After watching hummer's in my garden for fiftenn years, I saw a first today... three times.

Had never seen hummer's perch together.

Had never seen hummer's "dog fight" to the ground.

Had never seen one one hummer pin the other to the ground for a full three seconds... to win "THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP of HUMMER WRESTLING"

The two hummer's were perched for several minutes in a bush next to the feeder. I thought they were protecting each other, as the bush is fairly low to the ground. Then some low level dog fighting and they went to the ground for a second, then perched together in the bush again. After a minute, BOOM the dog fight was back on. This time when they went to the ground they actually were wrestling for a few seconds. It ended when one pinned the other's back to the ground by standing on it. The winner got the perch above the feeder, the loser left in a big huury.

Will have my camera ready tomarrow, as this happened right outside my window, 10-15 feet away.

Rick

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (2)

rita_h
17 years ago
Wow... that's cool. I wonder what they were wrestling about? I thought it was too early for breeding season but I guess I've read that it can include Dec so maybe, huh? The Annas in my yard chase each other around but are quite calm by comparison.
sqlguy
17 years ago
I've seen this only in broad-tailed hummers, and some of the fights I've seen lasted more than 10 seconds, I would guess.
Related Discussions
Can anyone help me, never saw these before
Q
Comments (3)
Some type of Lombardy poplar (Populus Nigra)? There are over 700 species, subspecies, varieties of these. Best known for their columnar form and unusual branching structure. Their branches start close to the ground and parallel the trunk. Lombardy poplars can reach 40'-50' in height, with a spread of 10'-15'.
...See More
Bird of Paradise bloom you never saw before
Q
Comments (2)
I'm with hoovb, but then, now that I don't have a BOP, I want one for it's flowers! Stanofh, the BOP does that quite often, i.e., grows several flowers on the same stem, and they do get heavy.
...See More
Bought an unlabeled Clematis..Never saw this one before??
Q
Comments (4)
There's a couple that come to mind with flowers that size, a very early spring bloom season and leaves that fit (somewhat) your description. It is possibly a white flowering form of Clematis montana, the anemone clematis or alternatively, one of the x cartmanii hybrids, like 'Early Sensation' or 'Avalanche'. If the latter, it won't be hardy for you in zone 6 :-(( You can Google images of montanas to see if it matches them or I've linked to a photo of 'Early Sensation' for comparison. ES and other x cartmanii's have very distinct foliage - quite unlike most other clems - so look closely to see if it matches. Here is a link that might be useful:
...See More
I can't believe I never saw this forum before
Q
Comments (1)
If you have problems with mildew, try spraying the plants frequently with diluted milk. I believe the proportion I had was 2 parts water to 1 part milk.
...See More

Related Stories

ART See the Sky as Never Before, Courtesy of Artist James Turrell

Experience light, space and perception in a whole new way at three museums across the United States — and maybe at your house, too

COLOR 10 Color Combos You Never Thought Would Work

Orange and blue? Purple and green? Yes and yes. Unlikely pairings can look great if you do them right

Beautiful Headboards You'll Never Find In Any Furniture Store

ART Bring In a View Like You’ve Never Imagined

By Matthew Ankeny

See how art photographers turn a plain white wall into a magical window with a centuries-old camera technique — and how you could try it too

BATHROOM COLOR 6 Bathroom Color Schemes That Will Never Look Dated

By Jacquelene Symond Colour

If you’d love to splash some color around your bathroom but fear it won’t stand the test of time, stick with these fail-safe combos

MOST POPULAR 10 Things to Ask Your Contractor Before You Start Your Project

By Ventana Construction LLC

Ask these questions before signing with a contractor for better communication and fewer surprises along the way

BEFORE AND AFTERS Before and After: 19 Dramatic Bathroom Makeovers

By Becky Harris

See what's possible with these examples of bathroom remodels that wow

CONTRACTOR TIPS 10 Things to Discuss With Your Contractor Before Work Starts

By Ventana Construction LLC

Have a meeting a week before hammers and shovels fly to make sure everyone’s on the same page

MOST POPULAR 5 Ways to Pare Down Your Stuff — Before It Gets in the Door

By Laura Gaskill

Want to free up some room around the house? Rethink gift giving, give yourself a shopping mantra and just say, ‘No, thank you’ to freebies

GREAT HOME PROJECTS What to Know Before Refinishing Your Floors

Learn costs and other important details about renewing a hardwood floor — and the one mistake you should avoid

Sponsored

More Discussions

Do you see what I see?

1