I just made a hot cup of Mandarin Mint tea and told myself to stay put at the computer for at least fifteen minutes before jumping up to start another task.  The mountain fog has finally burned off (10:20) and sunshine is making its way through the forest.  Temperature was 53 when I got up at 5:30, is 68 now and predicted to reach about 80 in town so maybe high 70's on the mountain.  I still have three hummingbirds battling at four feeders.  It's very entertaining to watch their behavior this time of year before they head back to Central America.  There is more of a slow dancing type movement in their flight as they approach each other.  Their wings and tails fan out as they stay in rhythm face to face.  I sit on the porch mid-afternoon and watch this.  I've even had all three sit at the feeder at one time and sip nectar before bothering each other.  

  Then there's this male who has claimed the swing.  He sits waiting for one of the others to fly by or perch at the feeder.  I'm still  bringing  the back porch feeders in each night so my fat raccoon doesn't drink the nectar and returning them to the hooks as soon as I can see the hooks in the morning light.  This morning I didn't get the two feeders out there fast enough and they were buzzing around scolding me.  It was still dusky.  The male perched on the swing waiting for the challenge just minutes after I went inside.  This afternoon I'll try to get a close-up and a video of the dance.  Earlier this week I heard one hit the kitchen window.  When I looked into the window box from inside, my heart sank.  He was flat on his back with wings open, no movement.  So glad the window box was there to catch his fall.  From previous times, Cliff and I learned not to bother them because they go into a torpor-like state where bodily functions slow way down.  About every ten minutes I would check him from the kitchen window.  He remained still except for a very slight quivering in his tail. I prayed that meant he was still alive and his body was recovering.  Twenty minutes passed, no change.  Forty minutes after his collision with the window, he was gone!! Once again he was chasing the other two and perched on his swing.  All three were in motion.  Wonderful!  They are the most resilient little creatures!

My tea cup is empty.  I stayed seated at the computer.  Now I'm done!