I enjoy watching them, too. I hate when it gets too hot to leave the window open, because it prevents me from listening to them chase each other. Having observed the imps for many years, I agree they like to play and tease.

Yesterday, six were arguing over the backyard feeder, while the side and front feeders often didn't even have a guard. Individuals would sneak over to the vacant feeders to get a snack, then return to the back yard to chase. So I don't think all of that chasing was really to reach the backyard feeder for sugar water.

I just came to the site to see if anyone else was having increased activity also. Since April, I may have seen 1 or 2 at two different feeders. Tonight, after really looking outside for a while, I could see at least 4 of the birds. 1 seems to have staked out the place which has 2 feeders nearby and many flowers, but it and another bird are more dominant and chase the others away as they try to come in for drink. The second one chases away when the first one is occupied but eventually the first one comes back and chases all the birds away.

With the increased activity, since I look out on my backyard more often than the front, I want to set out more feeders in the back but I know that may be moot if the one bird can chase all these away and claim all the feeders.

oh, put at least one more feeder out there and see how things go, purslane. This is the perfect time to get takers right away on a new feeder.

They are going to chase each other no matter how many feeders. I have two feeders near my two front windows, and they chase there all day, but there are also plenty of uninterrupted feedings at both of them, even sometimes two on one feeder. I do think they enjoy the chasing when their bellies are full.

Some of the old hands here with lots of experience have said the more food you offer, the more hummers you get. The books say that when there's lots of food on offer, the territories they defend (and chase each other over) are smaller-- that means more birds can each have their very own little supermarket.

Anyway, enjoy! They're here for such a short time.