A Different Sort of Hummingbird Year

For some weeks now our normal Hummingbird pattern has established itself, with these marvelous birds easily visible every day and with a dominant female "owning" the most popular nectar feeder at the main station. But there have been some differences between this year and recent earlier seasons. For one, I am more often seeing a male bird even at the main station. Perhaps I am missing sightings but he appears often, relaxed, and is hardly ever harried by the dominant female. I'm sure that the data here are real. Another difference is that I hardly see rival birds at the other nectar feeders. There are some instances of dueling females, but much less common. This could be the product of the weather. In recent years I could comfortably park myself outside and watch the fun. This year...ugh. I am not out as often. But even when I am out laboring about the yard, I'm not seeing what I remember. I have a few more weeks to see what we can see before the hummers pack up and return to wherever they spend the winter. We'll see if these patterns continue.