In article >,
jmcquown > wrote:

> On 7/18/2014 1:59 PM, Doris Night wrote:
<big snip>
> >
> > Here's a neat hummingbird video:
> >
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJEA_kAqUso
> >
> > I had no idea hummingbirds would ever put up with a crowd - the ones
> > around here guard their feeders ferociously, and any interlopers are
> > quickly chased off.
> >
> > Doris
> >
> That's a neat video, thanks! I never see two hummingbirds at the feeder
> at once. I do see some territorial battles, usually amongst the females.
>
> Jill

Wow! Never seen a swarm of hummers like that! Once we were up in Ponca
Arkansas, fixing to paddle the Buffalo river. There was a Mimosa tree
(vile invasive tree) in full bloom (lovely pink blooms ... I call them
Doris Day trees cause they remind me of Doris Day / Rock Hudson movies)
and it was covered with hummers. Up to that time i, like Jill, seldom
saw more than one bird at a time at my porch feeder. Then it occurred to
me that if you have enough of a crowd it would be rather unproductive
for a single bird to try to chase off the competition.

My porch is not large ... about 8 x 10 foot. One feeder up and there are
constant battles. One bird claims the feeder and fights off newcomers.
If I hang 4 feeders (spaced about 3 foot apart) I get lots of birds at a
time and see very few fights.

Never see as many birds as those folks in the video get, though.

Regards,
Dave W.
In the Ozarks