Sir Lancelot Stands Sentry over Aryana Hummingbird's Garden

We've got lots of hummingbirds in the Garden right now. They move too fast for me to count them, but if I were asked to guess how many, I'd probably say....hmmm.... more than ever before!

Costa's, Black-chinned, Rufous...these species have already migrated to their overwintering spots in Central and South America. But here in Coastal SoCal, "our" Allen's & Anna's are year-'round residents. (The Anna's tend to hang out in the neighboring hills, on slightly higher ground.)

Same as with Spring and Summer, Aryana & Friends are zipping around the garden, flitting from flower to flower and perching in their favorite trees. All day long, they come and go, grabbing a quick snack at the nectar feeder, "hawking" for insects, and splashing in the fountain.

Sunlight angles lower in the trees now, and some flowers are dying back. But our hummingbirds are a constant, and their behaviors are mostly predictable. (Sir Lancelot will always guard this spot above the feeder, for instance, until or unless he's deposed.) They're increasingly territorial, however, hardwired as they are to stake their claim on prime nesting spots.