A hummingbird with apparent entomophobia (yes, that’s a word).
Finally, for the last several days a single male Rufous Hummingbird has been hanging around the trumpet vine. But, unlike the other hummers, he almost never feeds on the flowers. He mostly hangs out on a particular dead twig and lies in wait to ambush other hummers that dare to approach the vine.
That twig is in an unfortunate (for me) spot that is partly blocked from my view by flowers and leaves, especially when there’s a breeze. But he spends so much time here, I’ve taken the time to fine-tune the precise spot where I place my tripod, and the elevation of my camera on the tripod, so that I can usually see all of him through the flowers and leaves. But just barely.
From here he’s fearless when it comes to other hummingbirds. But he’s a coward when insects are involved.
While he was perched here two days ago he chased off three other hummingbirds and then returned to the twig each time. In-between hummer encounters he spent a lot of time grooming, which is what he’d been doing when this photo was taken.
Suddenly an ant scurried out toward the end of the twig and threatened to climb right up his belly and breast, which definitely got his attention. All he had to do was use his long bill to knock the ant off the twig but instead, he chose…
to retreat. Rufous Hummingbirds are known for their badassery but apparently this guy is afraid of ants.
The ant reacted to the commotion caused by his takeoff by turning around and going back from whence it came.
But the hummer didn’t go far. He reacted to the retreat of the ant by turning around in midair and…
returning to the twig. Here the retreating ant can be seen on the twig between the two flowers. Apparently, they both thought that discretion was the better part of valor.
The next morning (yesterday), while he was on the same twig, he had another insectivorous encounter – this time with…
a bee. And this time he seemed fully prepared to use his bill in defense.
But the bee was just passing by, so it wasn’t necessary.
He really doesn’t like bees. There are lots of bees feeding on the flowers and when one comes close, he typically reacts similarly. But the action is hard to photograph well. Usually, he has his back to me and/or the bee is just a blur. Or both.
This series of two photos, with both of them sharp (enough) and the hummer’s bill open threateningly, is the best I’ve been able to do. So far. I’ll be trying again in less than an hour.
Ron
What shutter speed do you have to use to hold those blur of a wings in a shot where you can see his individual Wing feathers.
Ever thought of doing a nature series on You Tube – for TV or internet? You would be great and your “stuff” is SO INTERESTING.
Do hummers eat insects? Or just enjoy nectar? I never took the time to notice if they ever went after the bees in the citrus trees.
Great work!! As usual.
“Do hummers eat insects?”
Judy, they eat some tiny insects but bees would be too large for them. Since nectar doesn’t include protein, they have to get it from somewhere.
Me on YouTube? Not a chance.
I was really rooting for Mr. Rufous to have “ant a la mode” on the menu. Perhaps this particular ant wasn’t quite ripe yet. I’m amusing myself by imagining the hummer’s internal dialogue, though.
Thank you for including so many backyard bird antics. 💜💜💜
“I was really rooting for Mr. Rufous to have “ant a la mode” on the menu.”
Marty, Cornell mentions gnats, midges, whiteflies and aphids in the diet of Rufous Hummingbirds. No mention of ants. Maybe they don’t like the formic acid in ants?
The expression on his face as he’s looking at the ant is pretty funny.
A David and Goliath confrontation for sure, and Goliath proves wimpy!
“Goliath proves wimpy.”
You’re right, Carolyn. He’s a wuss, through and through.
Love! We have an Allen that is fierce! He’s small but wins the territory battle against the Annas and the Rufous. Endless entertainment! Just beginning to see the migrating Rufous. Soon Allen won’t have a chance ….
Kathleen, I’ve never seen an Allen’s. I get the impression that they look quite a bit like the Rufous, at least the males.
Thank you for revealing a world I did not know existed. A fascinating interaction between the beautiful.hummer and a minuscule insect.
Thanks, Eloise. That’s the magic of photography. And a quality lens.
He’s just beautiful!!
He’s a looker, that’s for sure.
Pretty odd behavior. The Hummers I have seen are not afraid of anything. When a Coops would visit our backyard fountain, every bird other bird would make a speedy retreat. But not the Hummers. They would just sit nearby and wait for the Coops to finish their bath.
Maybe this guy just finds insects annoying?
Michael, speaking of Coops. Lately I’ve been having loads of fun with ‘my’ neighborhood Coop. Post coming soon. Probably…
Another entertaining group of hummingbird photos! Love the photos of him watching the bee!
Thanks, Joanne.
Beautiful and fun! 🙂 Perhaps had previous unpleasant encounters with ants? I know yellow jackets can be a problem for them – hadn’t thought about bees. They are territorial little buggers!
Another “gully washer” last evening. Creek white with bentonite again – YUCK!
A display of numbers mattering yesterday. Enough swollows were on the power lines across the creek to make them sag a bit and when they took off the lines visibly “bounced”. 🙂
Wow Judy, that’s a lot of swallows. Especially when you consider that most swallows only weigh slightly more than half an ounce.
Very interesting hummer– I was under the impression –up until
your post– that rufous hummingbirds feared ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. I guess this one is the exception, but — an ant ? I’ll
be interested to see your future observations of this guy !
Kris, I had to wonder – if that ant had been just a tiny bit smaller, would he have eaten it? After all, hummers do eat tiny insects.