Immature male hummingbirds in Las Vegas NV – hanging out at the north side feeder

This year’s newborn hummingbirds are out in full force. They are old enough now that the males are beginning to grow their adult gorget feathers. The north side feeder seems to be they’re favorite hang out.

The main attraction, the sweet water!

I surmise it is because there is less competition there from finches, orioles, dogs and people. I have to go around my house to get to that feeder and my neighbors, who own the bush it is on, seldom use their front door. So peace and quiet for the birds, except when more than one hummer appears at the same time!

The bush without hummers

                When the night time temperatures cooled a little the first part of the month I opened my office window to let in the cool air. The sun was still far enough north to shine in that window in the early morning. I needed to watch for that to keep the heat from replacing the welcome cool. As I went to close the window I spotted a hummingbird sitting on a dead branch next to the north side feeder. I was able to get his picture even though I had to take it through the bug screen.

Early morning rest period

It’s wonderful what a digital camera can ignore when it focuses. The rising sun shone through the little hummer’s tail feathers. The screen caused everything to be just a little hazy, but the sharpen edit made up for that.

                Later I was able to get pictures of another immature hummer as he sat and preened himself. Wings are so important that take a lot of care. I often see the birds working on grooming their wings.

When the bill is so long, preening requires contorions

                It isn’t just the perches the bush offers that keep the young hummers coming to the feeder. The food is the main attraction. I frequently see them feeding. On day I was watching as one bird was on the feeder. A second hummingbird came up. The first flew over a few inches and sat on the twig, while the second took the exact same perch at the feeder. I f I hadn’t been watching I would not have known the first hummer had ever left, it was that quick. Then the two birds did a chest to chest ‘dance’ all around the bush as they competed for perching places.

Seed pods add color to the bush.

                Since many of my young hummingbirds were raised right here in the neighborhood, I have to assume at least some of them are nest mates. These birds are a bit more tolerant of each other than are the adults. It is not unusual for me to see more than one on the north side bush. One may be at the feeder while the other one and watches from a twig, or they may both may be on twigs at either side of the bush.

                I am trying to get a picture of more than one hummer on the bush. I’ve seen as many as three either on the bush or flying around the bush at the same time, but the camera is simply not fast enough to catch them in a photo. So I’ll have to publish without the picture. I keep watching and waiting. Maybe next time.