I've been culling photographs on and off for a few weeks now, and I thought I'd share a few from time to time. This week, I've chosen a couple of hummingbird photos.
We are so fortunate here in Phoenix because the hardy little Anna's hummingbird stays here all year round. As a result, we have quite a little colony of them that love to nest in the trees here and frequent the feeders.
One summer, I left the patio door open as I was bringing in clean clothes from the laundry room. When I walked into the house, I discovered that a hummingbird had flown in to check the place out. He didn't care much for my interior decorating skills and decided to leave, but he became confused.
I stood well away from the patio door, hoping that he would fly out the way he came in, but he kept battering himself against the window that overlooks the pool. I had to find a way to make him fly in the direction that I wanted him to. Since he could see the outdoors through the window, I quietly walked over and closed the curtains. That way, the only "outside" he could see was through the open patio door.
He was out like a shot.
So... if that ever happens to you, regardless of the bird species, close doors, close curtains, do whatever you have to do to give your visitor only one clear way to get out of the house. (And in case you're wondering, I was once known as the head bat wrangler at work because I used the same principle whenever a bat got in the store.)
Now I'll stop blathering and show you the photos!
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| Life imitates Art. |
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| I think he's trying to tell me that the dryer stopped. Having an "outside" laundry room means all sorts of critters come to check it out (and consider it their own). |
I've had hummingbirds come to drink water from the end of the garden hose as I was watering plants. I've had them perch on the brim of my hat and on the book I was reading. I am absolutely thrilled that they feel so comfortable around me because it means that I've gotten to see some very special behavior.
One of these days, I need to show you the photos I took of Sam, the roughest, toughest Anna's hummingbird I've ever had the pleasure to meet.
What a great story. I had a Sparrowhawk in my kitchen once. I had opened a door by the birdfeeder that was not usually open. It led through a passage straight into the kitchen. I'm guessing the hawk was swooping to catch a small bird on the bird table, missed it and flew straight into the house. I failed to get it out by opening windows so called a neighbour whose son was a keen bird watcher and he came round with his dad to catch the bird in a towel and release it. Both were thrilled to get such a good look at such a beautiful bird. So was I but also glad to get it out of the house. LOL
ReplyDeleteI'd be glad to get that hawk out of the house, too! We've had visiting sparrowhawks, but they were just using as as a McDonald's on their way elsewhere. Lots of sparrow feathers drifting in the breeze once they left...
DeleteNow, that's a clever idea for getting a bird out of the house, Cathy! And I'm really glad it worked. Thanks for sharing the hummingbird pictures, too. It seems they feel really comfortable around you, and that's great. I can only imagine how happy you must be that they consider you a friend. Looking forward to 'meeting' Sam!
ReplyDelete"Sam" is short for Yosemite Sam, which is an indication of the little guy's emotional character!
DeleteHow fortunate you are to have the year-round residence of these wonderful little birds.
ReplyDeleteYes! We also have black-chinned hummingbirds in the summer, and migrating species like the rufuous that will make pit stops on their way elsewhere.
DeleteWhat fun pictures! I wish you had told me your advice for getting birds out of the house a couple of years ago. We had two different instances where we had a bat in our house. They were both on the second floor, which made things a bit more tricky. My son and I had a terrible time trying to get them out of the house. Thanks for sharing your pictures!
ReplyDeleteYes, bats can be tricky, and I definitely wouldn't want to be head bat wrangler on the second floor of a two-story house. It's bad enough doing it in a huge store like a Target!
DeleteVery cute. I remember you once saying that hummingbirds were competing over who could be in the waterfall near the pool. So nice to have nature right out your window.
ReplyDeleteOr even right on my hat! :-)
DeleteThe image is very cute.
DeleteLove that first photo! Hummingbirds are so fun to watch. We mostly get the Black-chinned and Calliope hummingbirds where I live with the occasional migrating Rufous.
ReplyDeleteI love watching them. I remember being in the hummingbird aviary at the San Diego Zoo when one of the hummers perched on my shoulder and didn't seem to want to leave. The hummer and I wound up being in the photographs of a group of German tourists! LOL
DeleteGreat photos! My mother jokes about being afraid of the hummingbird who frequents their deck every summer, since the time he kept showing up and hovering before she'd been able to get that year's flowers out .
ReplyDeleteWe have hummers that aren't shy about telling us when their favorite feeders are empty.
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