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Those tiny little humming birds we enjoy so much turn out to be very competitive, very aggressive and yes extremely interesting.

One doesn't have to spend much time watching them before recognizing that they are very willing to battle for their space.

Put up a single feeder filled with sugar water and you will more than likely attract a small number of the tiny athletes but put up several feeders and you will soon find yourself with swarms of the birds, competing with one another for their share of the liquid they so covet.

One doesn't have to live in the country to enjoy hummers, they tend to find the feeders where ever they are located, though it does seem to help if one puts out the feeders every year.

For many East Texas residents nothing is more enjoyable than watching the interaction of hummingbirds as they fend off intruders that range from bees, wasps, butterflies and even other hummingbirds.

They hover, dart and dance their way through our life and they fight, though very briefly. It is a mistake to take your eyes off the action as they sometimes battle, twisting and turning with much more dexterity than any fighter aircraft ever had.

The competition is fierce and non-stop from early morning to the last minutes of a fading sunlight.

Over the years we've learned to make sure the feeders never are empty because once gone, it can take some time to lure them back. We hope you enjoy the pictures and that they might inspire you to take your own.

For those who are interested, we shoot the images at 1/3500th of a second in an effort to stop the "action" ...