Kathleen, your friend is correct.  The males of most hummingbird species
have a display flight in the spring that they use to establish a territory
and attract mates.  The display flight takes place in the heart of the
male's territory.  That will be the area near the feeder if you have one up.
 The feeder will also be the locus of some spectacular dogfights between
males until one of them establishes dominance over the feeder.  After that,
the females will begin to come to the feeder, where she will be aggressively
courted by the male.
In the last act, beginning in late July, migrating hummers begin to show up.
 Territorial defense is no longer a paying proposition after the young are
fledged.  Thus, the population around the feeder goes way up.  One continues
to see some squabbling around feeders, but that is mostly just to obtain a
place at the feeder.  This is the time of peak activity at feeders and the
time most feeder watchers treasure most.

Cheers,

Bob


On Mon, May 18, 2009 at 8:36 AM, [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I had the opportunity to watch a make ruby-throat do an amazing flight
> yesterday, May 17, in Columbia Twp., Lorain County.  The little bird zipped
> way up and down and back and forth- sort of in a reversed bell curve.  My
> friend suggested it was a mating dance, but it was near a feeder.  Do you
> think this was a show-off for a female or a territorial maneuver?
>
> Thank you.
>
> Kathleen Bradley
>
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--
Robert D Powell
Congress Farm Research Institute
Wilmington, OH, USA
[log in to unmask]
http://rdp1710.wordpress.com

Nulla dies sine aves

______________________________________________________________________

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