Hummingbirds.... Fascinating birds...

As I have written in previous posts, this is the first year that we have had Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in the yard... We started off the year with a Male and a Female.... The Male became the dominent visitor in the yard and chased off the female.... So for awhile it was only him coming to the feeder.... he did not look well... his feathers looked worn and his behavior was odd.... he would not hover at the feeder... he would fly in and sit and stick his tounge out in the air and make this very weird sound.... One day he was gone... and the female returned.... She visited the feeder many times during the day.... Different than the male because she was very shy.... She was considerably larger and was a beautiful bird.... I assumed that she had a nest near by and I anxiously waited the arrival of her young to the yard.... One day, she showed up and she had another small "female" with her.... I assumed that this was her young... they hung together for about a week.... Then, she would not come as much, and the young one would come on its own..... Now for the last week a Male has shown up in the yard.... he takes turns coming to the feeder alternating visits with the young Hummingbird.... He is very sharp looking and although not as shy as Momma hummingbird, he is still weary of us as we stare out the window..... I managed to snap a few pics of both the young bird and the new Male today.... I think that the young one is a Male because I can see a streaked or spotted throat, but everything I have read says that its not certain until the following spring.....  I look forward to another month of watching them and I will be sad to see them go south....... click on photos to enlarge....

The Hummingbirds love to perch on the dead branches above the feeder