It's a House Party, Sort Of.

You would never guess it, but there is a party-loving beast occupying this tree. It is the smallest party-goer, but is the first to arrive and last to leave.


Did you find it? This may be just too easy. He's at the center of the photo if you did not find him.

I take it for granted that these frisky little birds are here year round battling to be king and queen of the heap. These Anna's hummingbirds are resident warriors always ready for the next adventure in nectar sampling.

"Excuse me while I scratch my arm pit..."

The humming birds fly a route around our house going door to door at their favorite taverns. I think they are a bunch of bar hopping floozies and drunken sailors buzzing around my house, shaking and quivering from an overdose on Salvia and Zauschneria nectar.


They are frequently found on the mulberry trees at the north of my house where where they quietly perch for a few moments in between getting their next fix. Actually, this perch is defensive location from which a humming bird can attack any other humming bird that dares to enter his mini-bar. I guess you could call him a mini-bouncer guarding the door.

He watches over his favorite beverages tenaciously, dive bombing those others who dare to enter his private drinking establishment.

These are the "Purple Hooters" that he is guarding...(That's a mixed drink folks. This is a family blog after all.)

From the tree, he stares at this bush located about 20 feet away. At this Mexican sage, two and three humming birds have been seen having bar fights over drinks of nectar. Some how I need to get a picture of them all here simultaneously.

I was able to approach this perch site without this big guy flying away. You can see the flecks of fuchsia on his throat and on the top of his head. I really need a picture of him showing off his bright feathers but was not lucky during the photo shoot. They can fluff up and display their bright colors when angry or displaying in defense of their territory.

To take these pictures, I stalked the humming birds for about three loops around the drinking circuit. So, I probably should have been doing laundry or some other menial task, but I was showing Wyatt what these birds were up to; therefore, I categorized this under "educational" work.

We walked around the loop and I showed my son each plant that the hummingbirds were visiting. Keeping with my "bar" theme, I think this is the nightclub where the birds get "Bloody Mary's." It's California fuchsia (Zauschneria californica). And NO I did not tell Wyatt that...I mean I am a good mommy after all.

And I think the Pink Flamingo's are slurped down here where the autumn sage (Salvia gregii) grows in profusion.

With a bunch of rowdy drunks buzzing around my house, I can't help but feel a little like the house mother yelling at the frat boys to keep it down. But they never listen anyway.

After all, they always have a look of defiance on their birdy mugs...