Pat72's blog: Balcony Bliss

Zippy and Perch

I was poised to post a blog that shows all of my plants, but it seems I have a bigger issue to ponder on in this blog.  Interesting developments have occurred with my balcony “garden”, lol.

Zippy was the very first visiting hummingbird to my feeder, surrounded by plants that attract hummingbirds.  To catch you up to speed, Zippy had trouble with trusting my feeder for over a week from my observation, but has now become a frequent visitor.  Here is the attracting scene I have set for a hummingbird sanctuary:

Bleeding heart Valentine, Monkshood Fisheri, Campanula Viking, Celosia China Town, Bleeding heart luxuriant and not pictured, two Sentimental Blue Balloon Flowers and four Hosta Wide Brim Lillies and bought just two days ago, but will be mentioned in next blog lol, a yellow Trumpet Vine. 

In my research and learning, I found websites that stated that it isn't the scent of the flowers of plants that attract hummingbirds.  Rather, it is colors that invite their attention, not fragrant flowers.  Thanks too Christine and her recipe https://garden.org/ideas/view/wildflowers/936/Make-Your-Own-Hummingbird-Nectar/ found here on ATP :), my hummingbird sanctuary is growing and doing very well :).

Last weekend, I think it was Saturday, another hummingbird showed up!  I witnessed both Zippy and Perch (I will explain why Perch is the name I have chosen here in a sec, lol) fighting or challenging for possession of the feeder.  It was a several hour battle, but it looked like Perch had emerged victorious:

All of this time observing my feeder and anxiously awaiting the next visit from hummingbirds at all, Zippy has behaved the exact same way every single time she (I’ll explain my guess of gender, lol) fed from the feeder.  She NEVER perches and feeds.  She always remains in flight, hovering and feeding at all the times that I have seen her.  My only capture of Zippy that I posted on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vGMWjCC4Mg

Perch, the new visitor, always PERCHES on the feeder while feeding.  Always.  He may hover for a quick second, but settles down while feeding every single time, and this behavior never changes.  

My gender guess is because of my reading of the male versus female hummingbird that I have been researching and learning about.  Please know that I am the last person on earth that could be considered any kind of an expert on hummingbirds, but from what I have read, the male hummingbird ‘wears the pants’ in the family lol. 

Because of my personal observation, I have gleened that Perch is the male and Zippy is the female.  PLEASE tell me where I could be wrong here, I really wish and would rather know the truth.  :)

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