[scarlettsdad]

I have this very friendly Rufous female I've named Bobbie (because she always drinks while perched and looks like one of those bobbing bird toys) that has become the victim of other hummers in my yard and I'm starting to worry she might get hurt. Because she perches, she's like a target not only for an aggressive male Rufous (which also buzzes me), but other females which I suspect have also recently had babies. I have tried providing separate feeders, but they still bean Bobbie as soon as she lands. Is there anything I can do to help this poor little girl?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZXvd...er_profilepage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-9TU...er_profilepage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcbRs...er_profilepage

[Totah Sam]

We have the same problem with one of our smaller Rufous pairs. Only they get run off by the Broad-Tails. I put up two feeders so they can alternate back and forth. The mean ones can't be in two places at once and they don't fight as much. In fact I've had up to seven hummingbirds perched and drinking at the same time. :p

[scarlettsdad]

Hello Totah,

I have (so far) Costas, black-chinned and Rufous hummers. They are just now coming back after a temporary honey bee swarming issue and because of our drought there's barely any nectar available because most of the plants are dead, so everyone's competing even more desperately. This is the first time I have had Rufous hummers in my yard and I have read that they usually just migrate through for a couple of weeks and move on. Are yours migratory, or have they taken up residence in your yard? The Costas have stayed since I started putting feeders up in April, and the black-chinned showed up a couple of months ago. I suspect Bobbie is a mother because when she first started going to the feeder before getting slammed she took loooong sips then flew back to the trees, just like Moms do. I expect babies to appear within a week, but am concerned about the aggressiveness of the male. Have you ever seen the male attack babies before?

Thanks for your input!

Rob

[Totah Sam]

The two Rufous pairs have been here since April. The Black Chins, like yours, showed up a couple of months ago. We've have some Broad Tail drive-by's but they usually don't stick around.

[scarlettsdad]

I have been corrected by an expert that the female is actually a black-chinned and the male is a ruby-throated. I now have three feeders back up in the yard and so far the bees are staying away with the Mountain Dew on the sponge trick. The male, which I have called Dante, is still picking on Bobbie, but she occasionally is able to get a sip at a separate feeder if Dante is distracted. When I wear my white baseball cap they all see me as a giant hummingbird and even though Dante tries to intimidate me by buzzing me, I seem to have gradually earned his respect. Today he even slowed down enough for me to take some pictures of him. Interestingly, If I stand next to the corner feeder, Bobbie will come behind me like I'm her protector. Unfortunately, Dante is so fast he can zip around me and still smack into her. There is now also a male black-chinned which Dante had an all-day Battle Royale over who would own the feeder on the tree (Dante won). Fascinating to watch. And I expect at least two families of baby hummers to start flying into the mix within a week. Dante is going to be worn out!

[Chris D]

They're hummingbirds...........