Heads Or Tails! The theme for HoT, Tuesday, August 5 is: HEADS - Manner
The frenetic manner of hummingbirds increases my pulse. I watch them attack each other and often wonder what keeps one from beaking my ear? Or, even worse, tangling in my hair like a rabid bat? They have a tendency to whirl right toward my face and look me in the eye before they twirl back to the red plastic flower.
A brave blogger lady posted a photo of a small red container of sugar/water nectar perched on her palm and each of her fingers was decorated with a sipping bird.
Amazing. How long did it take her to quit screaming?
Tiny hummingbirds make a large thunk when they lambast each other in order to keep the whole pot of sugar/water to themselves.
I saw one the other day who had lost her entire fan of tail feathers. Does she need them as rudders or does she only use them as a threat against potential second-class thieves. Will they grow back?
Why are hummingbirds so greedy. Did they learn that from humans?
Processed digital photo by Sue
Fractals Photos Poetry Prose Watercolor
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
HOT - Manner
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18 comments:
it makes you think did they in fact learn greed of us, cause we are greedy lol
thanks for stopping by my hots ;)
I like hummingbirds as well for their delicacy and constant motion. When they hover for just a moment, their colors flare. Your posting shows me a greedy, almost scary, certainly much less romantic bird. But I still am drawn to them. Thank you for visiting my site!
I think it's because they have to ingest so much sucrose that any source is guarded zealously.
What an interesting post. I’ve not noticed this behavior in the hummingbirds in my own yard (and I didn’t see the brave blogger lady’s post to which you refer) … but I don’t’ have an artificial feeder … rather a couple of citrus trees and real flowers they seem to enjoy, so possibly such greediness IS a learned behavior. Thanks for dropping by my HoTs at Small Reflections. It’s always fascinating to see all the different responses to the theme each week.
Hugs and blessings,
I never knew hummingbirds had such horrible manners. Thanks for sharing!
A very interesting post. Thank you for sharing with us.
This is soooooo very interesting. A a very unique Heads or Tails!!! It's a great thought to jot this down as your thoughts and wonderments. I enjoyed reading it.
Thanks for the stop over and leaving a comment. I wish you a good Tuesday.
I was never aware of their lack of manners either. I've just thought of them as small creatures with a very high metabolism. I doubt that I'll ever look at them in quiet the same way!
What a very interesting post.
Cookie
Yes the are greedy little things aren't they.
Thank you for stopping in earlier and living a comment
What an interesting perspective! Thanks for sharing.
Mine's up
cjh
I hope they did not learn it from us.
Thnks for stopping by.
I have a hummingbird that visits me every day in the spring and summer. I'm not sure if it's the same one, but I have had it come within 6 inches of my nose on many occasions. I also have designed and made a hummingbird noise thingy I call it. If you are ever in the area of 10th and Mountain in the afternoons, come by and visit me and I will play it for you. it's very interesting. The Stickman. p.s. I am usually out side every afternoon of the year from noon till dark making walking sticks.
When we lived in the foothills we had hummers by the hundreds. The ruby throated ones are beautiful and busy with occasional threats and would thump and fall dead against our windows almost every day, but the really fiesty ones were the Rufus Hummingbirds. They are just . . . fiesty to the tenth degree.
In August, about this time, the babies would be hanging on the perches trying to get food from an empty one and almost climb into the pitchers of fresh made sugar water when we filled them. That was a weird sensation.
Dear Sue,
I have Hummers...they do like to call a feeder theirs...not too good on sharing. I think they are always hungry. Maybe it is the sugar water that makes them so greedy. If left alone to forge for food in the flowers maybe they would be a little less aggressive? Maybe if humans did not take away their habitat they would be friendlier.
Sherry
Why are hummingbirds so greedy. Did they learn that from humans?
-- that line made me think.
thanks for the visit.
Wow - I had no idea that hummingbirds were so fiesty. They seem so graceful, so magical. I love the way you describe the noise their bodies make as they hit each other. Thanks for the comment on my Sunday Scribblings!
that's given me some new perspectives on humming birds!
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