Yes. It's okay to feed them sugar water.

May 12, 2016 12:22 AM

Instagram is awash in famous animals, from Marnie the Dog and Grumpy Cat to an adorable assortment of hedgehogs and prairie dogs and everything else you can think of, including a white fox. And then there is Tracy Johnson and her beautiful hummingbirds.

Wired Mag: Wildly beautiful slow-motion videos of hummingbirds up close.
Instagram: hummingbirdsxoxo
posted by Johnny Wallflower (12 comments total)

These are so beautiful! I love hummingbirds, in fact I've long been compiling a list of images for my next tattoo such as this. Thanks for the post. I'm just awake and about to start a long day and this has instantly put me in a cheerful mood.
posted by billiebee at 1:03 AM on May 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

The hummingbirds that we have around here (rufous) are incredibly territorial little bastards. You'd never get several of them peacefully sipping out of the same feeder at the same time -- you get a tiny aerial dogfight any time one approaches a food source another bird has claimed. They are quite astonishing creatures, though.
posted by Nerd of the North at 2:18 AM on May 12, 2016 [4 favorites]

One of my few regrets in moving across the ocean, is living in a land without hummingbirds! Lovely post.
posted by Gordafarin at 2:35 AM on May 12, 2016

You what else likes sugar water from a hummingbird feeder? That's right, bees. In the house where I grew up there was always a hummingbird feeder and it was very often abuzz with bees. Hummingbirds tended to stay away then though sometimes muscled their way through the hive. It's a thing.
posted by chavenet at 2:58 AM on May 12, 2016

Here in RI the bees ignore our hummingbird feeders and stick to the flowers. So far this year we have only seen our Single Guy and not the couple who also visit our yard. We love them!
posted by wenestvedt at 3:18 AM on May 12, 2016

Hummingbirds are some of the most wonderful things. My parents once had a little fishing cabin in southern Indiana, where my mom had hung three or four feeders in the trees above the deck. On most summer days, you could sit on that deck and be entertained by dozens of hummingbirds buzzing the feeders. It's where I first discovered that the little guys chirp as well as land and sit for a spell.

I also learned they can be little assholes to each other.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:42 AM on May 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

Feeding hummingbirds from your hand.
posted by 445supermag at 7:14 AM on May 12, 2016 [2 favorites]

Do you want ants? Because this is how you get ants.
posted by phearlez at 8:44 AM on May 12, 2016

Nerd of the North, my understanding is if you put up a bunch of feeders in the same area you can overwhelm their territorial instinct -- there's so many resources that trying to guard it all becomes a waste of energy. But yes, if you have one or two it becomes super entertaining watching them joust.
posted by tavella at 9:57 AM on May 12, 2016

While hovering, even. Then to X-wings v. Tie fighters corkscrew dogfights in 5 dimensions accompanied by angry fast-forward tape squeals. Then to warp 9.
posted by y2karl at 12:04 PM on May 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

these are neat! my mom loves photographing them, I gotta show her!

Is this where I can complain about the new instagram logo, because I have many feelings about it and I'm not sure where on the blue I can vent but maybe this little comment is all I need and ok I think I'm good for another few hours
posted by numaner at 2:05 PM on May 12, 2016

numaner it's not just you
posted by billiebee at 3:14 PM on May 12, 2016