This year at Madera Canyon seemed to be the year of the Rufous Hummingbird. About a half dozen of these tiny dynamos of the hummingbird world visited the feeders. Their rufous coloring is such a contrast to the Broad-billed hummingbird which dominates the area by the numbers. But the tiny Rufous Hummingbirds were a commanding presence and they were energetic pistols as they defended their chosen space. The hum of their wings was as loud as the much larger Rivoli’s and we always knew when they were in the area.