It's the Little Things that make me smile...

I love Hummingbirds.

A LOT!

I can sit outside on the deck for hours each  morning, as well as on and off throughout the day, just watching these little guys and observing how they interact with each other - and with me.

I love the Anna's

and the Rufus'

the Ruby Throats 

the Allen's

and another little guy (or rather 2 of them) that I have yet to identify.

Maybe they're Black-Chinned Hummers?

(Click on the photos to enlarge)

 The ones in the photo above, remind me of tiny little Orthodox Jews... with their black Yarmulkes or skullcaps, and their "side curls", but I'm not sure what species they are. 

We've got adults, and young 'uns and I guess you would call some of them fledglings... Little tiny ones straight off the nest anyway, who are way too tiny to perch and drink at the same time.

The  Anna's Hummingbird is the most common hummingbird found in California - although there's nothing at all  "common" about it's beauty - and it's also the largest of the species.

Resting my weary wings...

Aren't they gorgeous little guys?

 Female hummingbirds of every species lack the gorgets ( the colorful throat patches) that the males have, and are usually a softer green/gray in color.

Females also have slightly rounder tail feathers with white tips on them that look like tiny little ruffles.. The female  Rufous' will have some coppery-orange coloring that shows on their mainly buff colored sides (especially on their wings) in the right light., whereas the Allen's will show more  a slightly greener tinge.

The coppery Allen's Hummingbird  live here year-round, and can be easily confused with the seasonal Rufous Hummingbird... but Allen's have a green back, whereas the Rufous has a much more coppery back, and the males have a bright iridescent orange throat patch.

When the Rufus' appear at the feeders, everyone goes on guard, because these little pint-sized guys are aggressive as all get out!

I can fill the feeder 2 or 3 times a day, and if it's empty when I get up in the morning, the Rufous's are the first to let me know about it!

They've knocked my glasses off my face, dive-bombed me, and have even flown close enough to actually poop in my coffee cup, because when they're HUNGRY,  they just don't let up!

Humming bird poop is about 90% liquid sugar, but I sure as heck don't recommend taking a sip of that pooped in coffee, because it tastes like
shit poop.

Or so they tell me, anyway.

They'll swoop me, and dive bomb me... flying back and forth from me to the feeder, and chirruping as loud as they can, to let me know that I'm failing in my duty.

And when they're really ticked off, they'll give a "tail snap" to let you know that they're reaching the end of their tether!

FEED US, HUMAN!

Your duty is to feed us... so don't bother wandering too far away.

C'mon!  Hurry up with the food, will ya?  We have places to go, and things to do!

I love these little guys!!