The hummingbirds are here !

[suninvited]

I hung my feeders up faithfully on March 29th, because they always show up, but this year they didn't. I don't know why.

I was inside changing the water in my fish aquarium and left the greenhouse door open because I was carrying buckets of water outside when I heard the familiar buzzing.

The hummingbirds were here, alright ! About fifty hummingbirds swarming on my feeders. I was ecstatic.

I was carrying out a water bucket when I saw a black spot in the corner, and upon further investigation, I found a hummingbird in a torpor state in the greenhouse, he obviously had flown in and couldnt get out (we always leave the greenhouse door shut when the hummingbirds are here because of that).

I picked up his still body, and carried him outside and laid him on the tailgate of a pickup truck, I was afraid to lay him on the ground because of the nearby dog. But he just laid there, he was in a deep sleep. But then he started blinking a little bit. He was still too weak to fly. I carried him over to a feeder and dipped his beak in one of the feeder holes. He immediately stuck out his long, skinny white tongue and started drinking.

I thought he would fly right off after that, but I guess it took a little bit for the nourishment to sink in, he sat in my hand for about three more minutes before he got the strength to take off.

He was so beautiful, and the hummingbirds that I have always called "black chinned" dont have black chins at all, but the most vibrant purple feathers you can imagine. Of course, being into photography I wanted so badly to get my camera, but I was more concerned with getting this little guy back in the air.

He finally perked up and flew off, waaaaaay up into the sky and into one of the nearby trees they always make nests in.

It was all just an exciting experience for me, holding a hummingbird for about five minutes, and then seeing he was okay.

[Deja Q]

1. .

:hug:

[suninvited]

3. awwwwww

thanks for the :hug:

[Deja Q]

7. To take the time to save and assist another life form to health is the core essence of humanity.

Unless it's dinner, but of course we're only human...

[CTyankee]

2. Here's a hummingbird for you!

A Route of Evanescence
With a revolving Wheel--
A Resonance of Emerald--
A Rush of Cochineal--
And every Blossom on the Bush
Adjusts its tumbled Head--
The mail from Tunis, probably,
An easy Morning's Ride--

[suninvited]

10. Emily Dickenson

took me a couple of minutes...

Thank you for that !!

[CTyankee]

12. Your experience reminded me so much of E.D.'s description.

I could just imagine her doing the same thing that you did!

Where in Texas are you? I am originally from Northeast Texas (Dallas area) which is right on a migratory path for many birds. HOw they cluster in trees and chirp in April! We have nothing so much like it in Connecticut, altho we have many birds...

[suninvited]

13. She possibly had a similiar experience

and was able to put in words so beautifully, unlike myself.

I am in Jacksboro, Texas.

For some reason, we only seem to get the black chinned hummingbirds here, although we had a ruby throat at the feeder once. When my parents lived in Weatherford, they had several different species.

[CTyankee]

17. So glad to meet you, Imagine!

It looks like you are in that whole North Texas area for birds. Do you hear them, so insistent? I remember it so, along with the warm wind that always swept through, especially in the evenings. It is possibly the only thing I miss about Texas (apart from my family members who are gone...)

Emily D. lived in Amherst, MA, which is western MA. The ruby throated hummingbird is believed by E.D.'s historiographers to be the subject of this and the one other poem about hummingbirds that she wrote.

[suninvited]

20. what poem was that?

the other poem about hummingbirds?

I live in a very unique area, one that is low between two mountains (north texas mountains) but is on a hill itself. The wind blows here all the time. Not always warm, sometimes it is cold.

When I first moved here, I could not believe the wind. I am used to it now. I like it.

[CTyankee]

21. Oh, the wind of North Texas, the wind of my forebears!

I am a 3rd generation Texan on one side, 2nd on the other. Every time I would visit Texas in recent years I would feel that wind and remember so well...

As for Emily's other poem:

Within my Garden, rides a Bird
Upon a single Wheel --
Whose spokes a dizzy Music make
As 'twere a travelling Mill --

He never stops, but slackens
Above the Ripest Rose --
Partakes without alighting
And praises as he goes,

Till every spice is tasted --
And then his Fairy Gig
Reels in remoter atmospheres --
And I rejoin my Dog,

And He and I, perplex us,
If positive, 'twere we --
Or bore the Garden in the Brain
This Curiosity --

But He, the best Logician,
Refers my clumsy eye --
To just vibrating Blossoms!
An Exquisite Reply!

[suninvited]

22. When I was a child, I would pick up pecans every winter to earn

Christmas money. On the drive out of the pecan orchard, a house was always pointed out to me: that is where your mother was born.

I was so fascinated by that. It was just an old fallen down, wooden house.

I know I am a third generation texan, just from that.


"Whose spokes a dizzy Music make"

Only ED could make a hummingbirds whir sound so romantic.

[CTyankee]

27. My dearest aunt and uncle lived in Brownwood and had a pecan

tree in front of their house. We used to take long switches to knock the pecans off the tree. They also had a peach tree with the most aromatic peaches I ever had.

That was the early 1950s. Brownwood was a sleepy town but I loved it very much, more than I did Dallas where I lived...

[Brigid]

4. Wow! what a thrilling experience that must have been!

The hummingbirds haven't put in an appearance around here (Indiana) yet.

[suninvited]

8. I am sure they get there a little later

I imagine they arrive later the more north you get.

[Mrs.Matcom]

5. We live in Mass

and I just hung mine up today. I hope the other birds don't chase them off like they did last year. I put the feeder out of sight of the seed feeders this year and hope it works. I am soooo jealous that you got to hold one! Good for you! :hug:

[suninvited]

9. I have never had a problem with other birds

but the only other ones we have here are bluebirds and scissortails, for the most part.

We have woodpeckers, but they are so busy pecking the peaches, they dont have time for the hummingbirds !

I hope you get some hummers soon :toast:

[DarkTirade]

6. We found one stuck in a screen when I was a kid.

It's slender beak fit right in the mesh... but then it couldn't get back out. It was panicking, poor thing. But we managed to get it out without hurting it, and it flew off right as rain.

[orleans]

11. a hero! what a great story. n/t

[suninvited]

16. I got a picture this evening that showed the brilliant purple

of the throat. Unfortunately, the feeder is in focus, the hummingbird isn't.



Who knew?

We call them "black chins" Nothing black about that.

[orleans]

18. even so, it's a very cool picture. and you can definitely see the purple. n/t

[suninvited]

19. Yet they are called 'black chins'

weird, isn't it?

[pitohui]

23. well, i think the american birding association has a sense of humor

many common names are not really very accurate descriptions of the bird, i have a theory that the common names are selected as a sort of test of who is in the "know" and who isn't

if you think it's a canadian goose, you may be a great english teacher, but you don't know birds -- it's a canada goose

if you think it's a purple-chinned hummingbird, you may have great eyesight, but the name of the bird is still black-chinned hummingbird

all sorts of little "gotcha's" like that

my ex's favorite was the yellow-bellied sapsucker, any time he saw a bird with a yellow belly, he thought it was a sapsucker...twas in vain that i explained that perhaps he should stop looking for yellow bellies if he wanted to see the bird of that funny name

[suninvited]

24. A sense of humour

or short sightedness?

[pitohui]

25. oh no it isn't short sightedness

if you ever work with or observe these ladies who do the hummingbird banding, they know the exact pattern and measurement of EVERY feather on the bird -- important because without measurements many female/immatures look alike (ruby throat/black chinned is a pretty tough one for me personally)

it's nothing short of amazing how keen and knowledgeable they are

the names are not chosen because of poor eyesight, they are chosen supposedly for "historical" reasons

but every little special interest group likes to have its own special language and code and the occasional "funny" name is part of theirs, i think

[KC]

26. Beautiful picture

Just curious..do you have a problem with ants getting into your hummingbird feeders?


KC

[quip]

14. What a great experience. I also love hummingbirds. They are the most amazing creatures!

[suninvited]

15. I do too !

Until today, I didn't realize the brilliant colors of their feathers.