Last night I was enjoying the company of a dear and talented friend, Natasha Jans. She reminded me of a little story I wrote a couple years ago and suggested I post it on the blog. I found it. just like this little hummingbird.

Dear friends I want to share with you a little miracle. Yesterday I returned home to find on the ground one dead and one live teeny bird-I guess the nest was upset and down they came. It was a surprise for sure. I recognised them as hummingbirds and instinctively picked up the creature and sat it in the palm of my hand. Pluto seemed to be curious and I know how he likes to chase bees. It was so still but the little heart vibrated gently like a humm. I sat in the last half hour of light and gazed quietly at it. No fear of me at all. I know that hummingbirds must nourish regularly because of their high metabolism. I snapped off a small branch of nectar rich heliotrope, dipped it in the pond and held it to the beak…..thinking it might take the water and happily it did. I watched the ‘tongue’ dart out thin like a hair and the drop got smaller. I felt relief that it wouldn’t dehydrate in my hand.
Shortly the mother Jetsoned in….waiting in the apple tree. I thought the best thing would be to leave it for her to see and I went inside to fabricate a small nest. Cutting a paper cup down and crumpling some kleenex I grabbed some wire and exited to fasten it securely to an apple branch. Carefully I placed the little guy in there and watched for mother to return. She didn’t and it was dark. But it had feathers and I left it to destiny.

A few hours later, I got to thinking how cold it was….I did some quick research on the web and came across a wonderful site that told everything practically about what to do if you should find a baby hummingbird. I called the hotline and got a volunteer who suggested I put it in a box with holes and under a desk lamp to keep it warm and bring it into the wildlife rescue in the morning. So I padded up an office storage container with a small dish for a makeshift nest and went out to find the thing alive and perched on the edge of the papercup nest.

It felt so good bringing it up to my office….allowing me to watch it and warm it up. it was sooooo small and yet had a rather trusting personality.
Vanessa the volunteer explained how I should make a sugar water one part to four and hold it in a straw horizontally to allow it to drink. Apparently they can survive like that for 24 hours, but they must eat every 30 minutes. So I was up late fiddling with my straw and allowing it to drink gluttonously til it seemed ready for a snooze. I draped a paper towel over the box and got some sleep myself.

Just after 7am I woke to check on it and give it another drink. I called the local contact who confirmed I had done the right thing and we schedule a time for me to drop it off. But she said I might take it outside where I found it to see if the mother returned….it was unlikely as they apparently give up after 4 hours. Sure enough….mother darted about making that snapping sound…..and suddenly she came hovering near her nestling (the name given to a small bird who perches on the nest rim but cannot fly yet or care for itself) and offered up some breakfast.
Yeah!!!!!

So over the next 40 odd minutes I kept moving the box closer to the apple tree each time waiting for mother to find and feed her baby….until I placed the little one back in a new more appropriate nest and again she found it…..

it was thrilling for me and I check from time to time to make sure all is good. He fell out once and I had to get him back in. That was a shock. I came home after a few hours away to find a large dark….eugenia berry in the nest…..what are the chances of a large berry dropping into your nest and bouncing you out. I found our survivor clinging to a little branch in the groundcover under the apple. Again I took him to the nest and babysat til mother found him again…..heavens I am part of a real life adventure.!!!

I am told he will be fine for the night…and will likely be able to fly in a few days……but I think of a little birds life……In general, what are the odds? He will stand alone unprotected night after night, unable to fly waiting for mom to come and feed it, non-stop through the day. (mother leaves the nest once the young grow feathers)

I write this because it is sweet, but also to pass along some info that the wildlife rescue told me. During May and June they will receive dozens of baby birds a week. The causes are many. Domestic cats on the prowl catch a lot of the adults just when they are nesting. If you allow your cat out please give it a bell on its collar. Tree trimming should be finished by April. Lots of nests come tumbling down with tree trimming. And as the season gets hotter and there are fewer flowers for nectar….the birds get more stressed have to travel farther from the nests…. I was surprised to learn that having a garden would be enough, but they told me having a feeder for the hotter months would relieve the stress on the little creatures, so I bought one today that I will install as the flowers begin to fade. They recommended a glass version by perky pet, simple sugar water not the packaged mix. And if you want one that is beeproof then get the flat flower on the base not the fluffy faux petally ones. It does need to be kept very clean for them to drink from it, so wash it out well every couple of days and add fresh ‘nectar’.

Turns out the one I rescued is an Allen Hummingbird, a common one in our area. I see them often darting and whizzing around my garden, sipping at the fountain. My mom really likes them and I can understand why. Hummingbirds are fragile, strong, beautifully amazing creatures that reveal some of the magic of nature. A lot like the women in my life!!!!

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