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Hummingbird Heaven
Posted by Hummingbird Lady | Added on : March 09, 2013 2:32pm | Last edited: March 11, 2013 4:42pm | Viewed 3515 times | 3 Comments
Hummingbird Heaven
| I believe when you talk about something a lot you must enjoy it. I find myself talking about my bird feeding experiences to almost everyone I encounter. From people I know at school to strangers I meet in pet stores. Birds are the most creative things to watch but most especially humming birds. Last summer was my first true interaction with feeding birds. It was by far one of the most amazing things I have ever witnessed. I have always loved nature and at the same time I hold a lot of respect for it. I feel if you have this ability in you to simply observe and not interfere, nature can sense that. |
| If in the past when I had been encountered by a deer or even a butterfly it made me feel very special. So what happened between me and the humming birds was remarkable. I hung the nectar feeder out in front of my window. This way I could see it from the couch and could enjoy the stunning beauty from inside. When hanging bird feeders make sure they are in a spot you can see from inside your home as well as the outside. In the beginning of the summer of 2012 I had my first hummer of the year show up. |  |
I named him Brownie because he was fat and brown. He was big for a humming bird but none the less a humming bird. He moved on after a couple weeks but I wasn’t aware yet that there would be more. Feeding birds in previous years I didn’t have a lot of action. Maybe it was the mixture I had bought from the store. This particular summer I decided to create my own nectar. It is very easy to do; you only need ¼ cup of sugar to ¾ cup of water. Make sure you boil the water first then stir the sugar into the hot water. Not only do the humming birds love it, it is not expense to make! Last summer brought me a whole family of humming birds that I came to love and care about. I noticed this one particular hummer that I named Silver Kiss, a female ruby throat, swoop in from time to time. Her belly was big and she liked to sit on the feeder instead of just buzzing there. I sensed she was pregnant and boy was I right. This is one of the most exciting things to see when feeding birds. Some while later she had the babies. Before I knew it she had them at the feeder with her. It was amazing to see these two baby humming birds with their mommy learning how to get a feed. From this point on I was so interested in the trio I started to research on their species. I found out so much cool information, like the size of a humming bird egg is only the size of a tic-tac. Feeding birds early in the morning is something I really enjoy. I started getting up extra early so I could watch them all to myself. I would make a cup of coffee, go out on the front porch and wait for them to stop by. Like clockwork they would come in one at a time to get a drink. Sitting their very still they would notice me anyway and buzz back and forth between my front tree and the feeder. Eventually they really didn’t mind me sitting there and would come in close for a sip of nectar. If you are a morning person like me then take yourself outside when the sun rises. Nature is already up early and this is one of the best times to observe. You can even take your camera with you and try to capture a moment in time. I have several pictures showing my little ones that come to visit me. |
 | Later I thought of something crazy but really wanted to know if it could work. I went out front one early morning when everything was quiet and peaceful in the neighborhood. I took the bird feeder down and held it in my hand, letting it hang from my fingertip grip. Not even a couple minutes went by and one of silver kiss babies was coming in for the sweets! It circled around my hand so fast that it brushed its wings against my hand. It hung out there for awhile getting a drink and then stared into my eyes. At one point the little thing even peed on me but |
that was alright I needed the luck! Feeding birds feels great and it got to the point where they must have told their friends because we had about eight by the end of the summer. This included a tiny male ruby throat that started to bully all the others away.
| I got to learn firsthand how humming birds interacted, where they live, how they eat and how close a bond can be between them and humans. Why do I love to bird watch? Nature will only let you really see it when you are truly paying attention. To sit in silence for hours just to feel a bond between me and the humming birds is something I look forward to as a new summer approaches. Sharing this spectacular knowledge with my family is something I take pride in. |
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crystal.orndorf
March 23, 2013 05:12am 05:12
Hummingbirds are such peaceful creatures. I enjoy them as well, not too many people have seen them because they don't have the patience. We have a couple of hummingbird feeders in front of our house and when they come up so fast you can just hear their little wings go. They are usually the same little ones every year, we also have silver kisses coming in to visit as well. I really enjoyed how you are letting more people know about hummingbirds and how you can have your own humming bird feeder so everyone can get a chance to see the beautiful delicate hummingbirds.
Hummingbird Lady
March 15, 2013 3:44pm 15:44
It really was a incredible thing to watch and be part of...I hope they come back this year, I can't wait to see them :)
paige.moffitt.75
March 11, 2013 9:06pm 21:06
Awesome article..I am infatuated with those tiny creatures as well. When we go on vacation we hang hummingbird feeders out and I will sit for hours taking pictures. They are such interesting birds. That must have been quite a sight to witness the whole family feeding.