The Hunt for Hummers

Hummingbirds. We have plenty here in the yard. When I take the dogs out in the morning, I'm sure to see one or two feeding on the flowers in the garden or bathing in the puddle of water that collects near a drain by the house. If I am lucky, they will remain still long enough for a good look. Most of the time they take fly away before I can see what kind they are.  They dogfight for territory in the garden; dive bombing each other at high speeds through and around the trees. When I do catch them feeding on the flowers, I am mesmerized. Over several days during our first summer here, I stalked them with my camera as they fed on the flowers of an aloe plant near the house. Here's what I saw: