09/17/2026
The Hummers Are Getting Restless! (Crank up the volume!)
We had at least 4 hummingbirds around the feeders in our backyard today, but they seemed to be spending almost as much time fighting with each other as they were eating!
If you've ever watched hummingbirds around a feeder, you know these tiny birds don't always believe in sharing. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds can be extremely territorial around a good food source. One bird may decide a feeder belongs to it and spend an amazing amount of energy chasing everyone else away — even though there's plenty of food to go around.
Those high-speed pursuits, dives and midair confrontations we're seeing aren't unusual. Protecting a reliable source of nectar is serious business for a bird with such enormous energy demands.
And at this time of year, that food is becoming especially important.
Here in the Elizabethtown area, we're right in the fall migration period for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Some have already started south, while others will remain in Kentucky until late September. We may also be seeing travelers from farther north stopping in our area to refuel before continuing their journey.
Eventually these tiny birds will head toward their wintering grounds in Mexico, Central America and parts of the Caribbean. They don't migrate as a flock — each hummingbird makes the journey individually.
So while it might look like a miniature war around our feeders right now, these little birds have a very big journey ahead of them.
We'll keep the feeders filled for our regular visitors and for any travelers passing through on their way south.
Enjoy the show — because before long, the backyard is going to seem awfully quiet without them.
If you’re wondering, Yes, I did get hit in the head by one of them during the filming of this video.