Yesterday morning I sat out on my patio and observed The Hummingbird Wars currently unfolding at my house. I’m not certain how many total hummingbirds are involved but there are at least 3 young male Anna’s Hummingbirds vying for dominance at the front yard and backyard feeders (and, if anyone from my HOA is readying this, I have only the requisite 4 bird feeders of any kind total, front and back). At some points in the day I see only females visiting the feeders but yesterday morning three males, including this warrior, were stationed at various positions in the backyard. This one perched strategically a few inches above one feeder while the other two observed from a dwarf peach tree across the patio, closer to the salvia and California fuchsia. The hum of their wings seems louder than I ever noticed at my old house, almost as loud as the motor-boat sound of the huge Rivoli’s Hummingbird I’ve seen and heard in Madera Canyon, AZ. It must be the proximity to the fence and the surrounding dense foliage that creates a sort of echo chamber. I haven’t observed these hummers enough yet to distinguish them from one another. I watch the front yard Hummingbird Wars as I have coffee in the morning from my kitchen nook which looks out over the front feeder but I don’t know if it’s the same three or another group of warriors. Time will tell, I guess. I’m happy that the weather is starting to cool down just a bit so I can actually spend time outside enjoying and getting to know my new hummers.