Meet Jenks!

We had two female hummingbirds taking turns at our feeder on the deck, and then this little male arrived. The birds started chasing each other off, so I put a second feeder out in the front yard. That seemed to help.

The extra feeder must be located in such a way that the birds cannot see the second feeder from the first one. (Yes, they can be quite aggressive toward each other, and you should see their bold aerial maneuvers!)

I was refilling the feeder on the deck this morning, and I'd just put water in the ant moat on top and was getting ready to hang it all on the clothes line, when I heard the buzz of hummingbird wings, coming right at me!

A tiny bird - a male with a bright red throat - arrived and sat on the feeder and drank from it AS I HELD IT IN MY HAND! He reminded me of the pixy Jenks from the Kim Harrison series The Hollows, so now this little fellow has a name.

In the stories, Jenks always arrives with red and green sparkles, and that is exactly how it seemed. Jenks is about as big as two Tater Tots.  :-)  (I'll bet you've NEVER heard of a Tater Tot used as a unit of measurement before!)

Of course, I did not have my camera with me when he sat on the feeder as I held it. (And what a charming moment that was; one that I'll cherish.) But here is a shot of him enjoying the feeder that is out front in Barb's butterfly garden/Ellen's bulb garden, a bit later in the afternoon.

Mangia, little bird!

I wanted a song for a hungry bird, and I think this one will do: Bruce Springsteen, with Hungry Heart.