VIII. Videos and Slideshows
One of the advantages of these images, short videos and slideshows is that the lens can come very close to the birds, often within feet. The disadvantage is the lack of photographic skill and equipment to maximize the rare opportunities. However, it is not easy, even with skills and equipment, to capture an elusive jittery tiny bird interacting with other birds at high speed, as the subject(s) is out of the camera range within seconds. Regardless, these videos and slideshows show rare images how on hummingbirds live their lives and how they interact and react to each other, in the goofiest and most adorable way. The consecutive actions in the video and slideshow suggest that the birds come to feeder to eat and fight. They acknowledge each other and communicate with each other on a conscience level with a purpose, no different from other live forms. These sequential activities are not random “mindless” actions. (Note: the videos were prepared with software by https://kapwing.com.)
VIII – A: Dancing in the Rain….Rocking in the Wind
One would think hummingbirds would seek shelter in heavy rain and strong wind, and would hate (or curse) it until sunny day to eat and play. This is human logic because most of us see rain and wind as inconvenience. Hummingbirds are in harmony with nature….dancing in the rain….rocking in the wind… no happier birds….
VIII – B: Banquet Every Day
Banquet every day! Dinner time happy time! Hummingbirds come to eat, socialize, play…even spectators doing “bird watching”. Try to follow each bird and see the trajectory how a bird would come and land and eat.
VIII – C: An Annoying Persistent Bird and an Annoyed Bird
(Story IX Hover for a Purpose)
This slideshow is demonstrative that the birds communicate, and communicate with a purpose. The entire duration was about 14 seconds. An orange bird hovered to “talk” to its twin (or girlfriend?), only aiming at the perched orange bird and refused to leave. The perched orange bird kept turning to the other bird showing disbelief why the hovering bird was still here. The perched orange bird kept posturing the hovering bird to leave. The perched bird had to get off the feeder to fight twice before peace returning to two lovebirds on the feeder.
VIII – D-1: “I Want Your Worm”
(Story VII Aggression)
Orioles come to this area in early summer every year. There is a particularly naughty baby oriole fighting with all other orioles, including its much bigger mama oriole. The following frames show how this bad egg first tried to eat the plastic tip of a sewing pin on Bella, and got depressed when it could not. The naughty bird then took a worm right from the mouth of another baby oriole. The poor baby oriole had its eyes closed when the worm was taken. This naughty oriole continued to yell at this poor baby until the poor baby oriole flew away.
VIII – D-2: A Shadowy Twin
(Story III Twins Forever)
A naughty twin trolling like a shadow. This naughty twin got a “talking to” by the good twin before settling down to eat. This video settles the question on whether hummingbirds are solitary birds. No, they hang out in the most adorable way.
VIII – E-1: A Bully Needed to Go to A Reform School
and a Baby Bird Taking Self-Defense Lessons
(Story VII Aggression)
This chubby molting bully was terrorizing the neighborhood in an early morning of a drizzling winter day. A baby bird was brutalized. Notice that the bully did not attack the baby bird right off…it started with hovering and posturing and inspecting the situation. Once determined that this baby bird could not defend itself, the bully came back with a gusto to keep stomping on the poor baby bird. The whole process was about 1 minute. The baby bird later came back unharmed.
VIII – E-2: The United Nations of Birds
Hummingbirds come in different shapes and sizes with the reported some 350 species. Some birds bigger than others, and some very hungry.
VIII – F: Contortion, Stretching and Scratching
Hummingbirds are known to contort their bodies to stretch and with exceptional flexibility to use their beaks and claws to scratch almost their entire bodies. This observation is confirmed, except the contortion, stretching and scratching seemed to largely limited to large size birds. When these super-size birds started scratching, they would not stop.
VIII – G-1: Civilized Birds, Very Good Table Manners
(Story V Lovebirds)
Notice how these four birds sitting closely together enjoying dinner. Perhaps too closely together or too chubby, they could not share a spigot at the same time. One bird would wait until the other finished before eating, never interrupting the other bird. Polite, considerate and civilized.
VIII – G-2: Three Amigos Had an Afternoon Tea Party and Enjoyed Each Other’s Company
(Story II Pack Behaviors)
More often than not, hummingbirds would sit around and enjoy each other’s company, eating, kissing…in a peaceful way.
VIII – H: Crazy Bullies “You LEAVE, or I Attack”.
(Story VII Aggression)
There are ordinary aggressive birds, there are aggressive bully birds. How does a bully show its “very unhappy to see you” face to another bird? This is how. The feathers all fluffed up, belly bloated, body shaking like a possessed bird. Somewhere in the world, there is a bully actually shook its head off.
VIII – I: Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick
(Story VII Aggression)
This unusual looking bird with a hunchback is sighted from time to time. It is memorable because of its unusual big size and a prominent hunchback. This bird often came alone and ate alone and would stay for about 10 days. The bird spent a lot of time on a couple of favorite spigots, always sat quietly and got along with other birds and never bothered other birds. One day a bird, probably mistaken this bird as an easy prey, attacked it. The way this quiet bird fought back showing the big stick it carried. For 2 seconds, the bird never let go of the attacker, before disappearing from the camera range. Who would think the long beaks are to fork up an entire bird at once? The quiet hunchback came back later. The attacking bird could not be identified because of its ordinary look, but perhaps unharmed.
VIII – J: The Victory Prize is the Feeder Seat
(Story VII Aggression)
Hummingbirds often starts a fight by sneaking from behind. This takes place always when there are plenty empty spigots around. It became clear quickly, the attacking bird wants the same spigot. The same is the shrub branches. No one can say there are not enough perching spaces in the shrub for this tiny bird. But some tiny birds just want “that” space. This video also shows how a bird defended its feeder space by maintain straight-line between two beaks during confrontation.
VIII – K: The Victory Prize is the Feeder Seat
(Story VII Aggression)
This is another example that the victory prize is the perching seat. Can a bird psychologist tell us why?
VIII – L: “I Have Been Waiting for You.”
(Story III Twins Forever)
While the orange birds are often more aggressive and the instigators of a fight, they are also groupies. Keep an eye on the perched orange bird, how it followed the incoming bird all the way until the incoming bird settled down before eating, as if it was waiting for the incoming bird to come.
VIII – M: “I am Not Leaving.”
(Story VII Aggression)
This bird has its head up eyes fixing on the incoming bird. The incoming bird had to change its mind and go to another spigot.
VIII – N: A Careful Approach and a Little Resistance
(Story VII Aggression)
How do birds approach a feeder? How do they interact with the perched birds? How do they avoid confrontation? This is a good example how birds acknowledge each other and checking out each other before peaceful co-existence.
VIII – O: Another Example of “I Am Not Leaving”
(Story VII Aggression)
This time, the perching bird, with posturing, vigilantly succeeded in scaring away the incoming enemy.
