After a hiatus of a few years, I've hung another hummingbird feeder up at the barn. This little Anna's hummingbird is my new best friend and every other hummer's worst enemy.

For the first few days he watched from the office door:

...from the wisteria:

...and from the garden fence:

And made sure only those who knew the password got even a drop of nectar.

He got tired, of course, or maybe less cranky, because now the feeder is besieged -- I'll get some photos up soon -- and as fierce swarms of aerobatic birds drain a quart of food each day, I remember why I gave up playing hostess in the first place.