The Red Baroness

When I had a garden in the ground, and not in flowerpots as I do now, I planted salvias for the hummingbirds. To put out a feeder would have been carrying coals to Newcastle. But now there is no room to grow salvias, since my sunny spots are for herbs, and my space is so small. I have at last put up a feeder, and it has attracted a feisty and belligerent female hummingbird. She lets no other hummer near her feeder, and drives all others off with her dizzying aerial attacks. She has even bumped a house sparrow, though he was not impressed and not about to abandon the seed feeder.

I plan to leave the feeder up after my little Red Baroness leaves in October, hoping that the Rufous Hummingbird and possibly one of the other 6 species that have wintered in Tennessee might find it.In the meantime I must be content with my pugnacious Ruby-throat.