Pete Webb wrote:

> Back about the 4th of July, I had blooming hostas in my front yard, and
> although I've never seen a hummingbird visit them, I've heard from
> others that the hummers like them.

I normally have a lot of hostas blooming in July and the hummers use them 
readily. This year, the deer ate all the hostas so I didn't have many blooms.

> I've heard the squeaks/twitters/chips from the hummers, and believe
> it's a vocal aggression display. 

I normally have lots of hummers and hear the "chittering", as I call it, 
any time there is more than 2 or 3 hummers present. That is usually how I 
know when they first show up in the spring. I have never associated it with 
any sex but I really haven't tried.

Bruce Peterjohn has been banding the hummers at my house this year. In the 
past 5 Saturdays, we have banded 165 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.

Les

===========
Les Eastman
mailto:[log in to unmask]
Havre de Grace, MD

The eagle looked down on the river below
And he wrapped his wings round him and he fell like a stone
And the big salmon fought but the talons held true
And he shuddered as the world turned from silver to blue
                               Steve Earle