The hummer wars continue to rage on my back deck. Friday (
12/16) I positioned myself to photograph the action. Dexter, the alpha Anna's male that has claimed my feeders, employed two strategies to fend off the two females. One strategy is to perch on the feeder and drive away the approaching females. Sometimes he didn't need to leave the feeder, he would just raise his wings and screech.
The second strategy is to perch on a nearby branch with a view of the feeders. From this position he would swoop down on the females after they landed on the feeders. This offered the best opportunity for photos, as I would just focus on the perched female and keep snapping as I waited for Dexter to swoop in. Sometimes his screeching or the buzz from his wings would give me a brief advanced warning.
The two females developed their own tag team strategy for dealing with Dexter. While Dexter was chasing one of them away from the feeder, the other one would fly in for a drink before Dexter returned.
Dexter on the lookout for the two females.
One of the females flew in for a drink.
Dexter swooped in to chase her off.