December 19, 2006: Hummingbird turf war

[Undertoad]

xoB spots this awesome set of three on Weather Underground, by a gent who goes by motoshutter there.

They're beautiful birds, these Anna's Hummingbirds. The Wikipedia entry says "They are very territorial" and motoshutter has documented that here. They start with the above aerial display...



And end up locked in mortal combat on the ground, trying to spear each other with their beaks. At this point motoshutter kind of breaks them up, and they take to air combat again;



And this proud laddie takes the battle and wins the ground, and stares down the loser until he flies away in defeat.