i wish i had a camera with me. was grilling out last night, and saw a humming bird checking out my Kathleen's Black. it flew everywhere looking for something, then went off. cute looking things.

They are darling until you get dive bombed by one and their sharp evil beaks!!  They are equal to Bumble Bees to me!
Suzi

They actually eat spiders and other insects. I have one here that works over the spiders that live in this old stone wall, then hits the Rose of Sharon and buzzes off. I planted a native honeysuckle and red hot poker for him as well, hope he finds a lady this season.

Wait until it gets tangled in your hair and pecks your neck!!
Suzi

We have had Humming birds here for years...None of that crap ever happened to us...The west Coast must have some mighty ill tempered Humming birds.

I will add ours are smart enough to know the difference between hair and flowers.

I did a photographic study of "Hummers" many years back.
Did you kinow?
They build their nests out of bits of lichens and spider web silk.
and that they eat knat sized flying insects.
Male Hummers will fly in a "U" shaped pattern to attract females for mating.
Hummers are also very territorial, and will fight over rights to your feeder!
They're fastinating creatures!

Dan, did your study include the dive bombing of humans wearing colorful clothing?

Attack hummungbirds? Sounds like a contradiction of terms. I guess you were near a nest?

:-)

Are you kidding?  They dive bomb all the time when I'm in the vineyard checking the grapes!  Evil creatures, for sure!
Suz

It musta been a pigmy mocking bird

Nope, never been attacked once. I think they are great. Not only are they beautiful and fun to watch, but they are wonderful pollinators and they eat many small insects. 

It's too bad that you have had a different experience.

One of my cats caught one once, but thankfully I was able to free it and let it go unharmed.

We have been reading on our front porch near the feeders and have had them fly between us and the book we were reading and look at us....Not once did they attack me or the wife....ours must be better mannered.

OK, but I don,t feed them for reasons of my own, so they dive bomb.  Not a fan of the breed!  Cant they get their own food?  Why should I feed?

And what good do they do?  Peck your honey sweet figs?

Not a fan!
Suzi

i would love have more humming birds. they are just facinating. so cute. i'm sure it will last until on dive bombs me.

I was buzzed by a hummingbird once but the next time I put out the feeder it was watching me and it's never bothered me since.  It's fun putting out a few feeders and watch them vie for dominance.

Yeah, apparently there was an urban legend circulating recently that hummingbirds are dangerous. They will buzz you and sometimes check out your clothes or eyes. If they think you are a predator they will harass you and alert the other birds in the area.

People feed them because they like them Suzi, and because their houses and yards used to be the birds habitat. They eat mosquitos, which is more of a contribution to me than many other things.

Never had one dive bomb me, just check me out real close.
I used to train them to sit on my finger while feeding from the feeder though.
It takes many weeks to train them, and quite a lot of patience!
They'll even find you, and let you know when the feeder is empty, or the solution needs to be changed.
I make my own food of 2 cups of sugar to 4 cups of boiled water.
mix until clear, cool, then fill.
I personally don't believe that store bought, dyed stuff is any good for them. Sugar and water is easier, cleaner, and a lot less expensive!
Never use honey! it causes cancerous growths on their bills.

Cool about training your hummers - I'd never heard of that one before.

I have friends who have trained their local roadrunner to take grub worms from their hands. Amazing to watch. The roadrunner will sit on the back of a patio chair and peer into the window waiting for someone to feed him.

One of my neighbors has trained one of his wild lizards with worms too. The lizard is now rather plump.

I've been feeding a small flock of quail lately. 6 adults and 5 babies. They pass by the windows (and fig cuttings), and often hang out in the blueberry patch. They have a free pass. :)

If you built it, they will come. :)

The hummingbird will fly very close to you to get to Flowers you have for nectar if you do not move at all,and you notice them first ,so you won't move.
Then they will fly real close to your body even hoover in the air next to you.
I do not bother them and they come all Summer long here in my Garden.

I finally got a hummer at my feeder!  I planted a few flowers for hummers and butterflies.

So, other people get hummers to sit on their finger, train roadrunners, and cool lizards. 

What do I get?  An opossum in my garage and coyote in my yard!  I think he is the one eating my tomatoes!!  I did have a bunny come to the garden to snack and bask under the milkweed - haven't seen him in a few days...d**n coyote :{

Noss, what a beautiful amazing story!  They are incredible little creatures!  A few days ago, one was checking out the cucumber flowers and just hovering around the garden.  I think it would be nice if they come to the feeder while I am out there too.

Suzi, since you are so sweet and attractive to the little birds, get a hat with a few flowers on it - maybe some silk flowers so they look realistic!  so they don't come after you!

Brent, I planted a red hot poker also this year.  Does it take time before it flowers - like a year or 2?  Right now it looks like a plume of grass - well I think that's it!

Cecil - I guess our hummers here in Texas are too hot to dive bomb people!  Or they just have some of that southern hospitality!

Oh I almost forgot - Gina has a cute family of quails!!  I have predators! 

Mine came with some spikes forming on it already Jo-Ann, yours might still bloom this year.

Hummers = summer at the Jersey shore, love it except for the traffic.
we have hummers in NJ too, they love the trumpet vine and the Fuschia plant in a hanging basket, never been dive bombed tho.
Outdoor watering ban lifted last night- woohoo!
Thanks for the reminder- feeder going up now.