Touched by a Hummingbird

Many years ago, I knew a woman, Marie. who was truly a “Hummingbird Whisperer.” The little flying emerald gems simply loved her. Marie was in her 60s and lived with her husband on a small farm far out in the country. Her farmhouse featured a wrap-around deck and the back of the house enjoyed a full eastern sun exposure. Marie was also an avid gardener both of in-ground and container variety. The sun-bleached wood of the deck appeared almost white in the late-morning sun and ceramic and terracotta pots were bursting with carefully chosen flowers in shades of pink, red, crimson and gold. There were petunias and portcullises, hibiscus and salvia. Fuchsias cascaded from hanging baskets and there were containers of lavender, bee balm and lemon verbena.

Hummingbirds swarmed around the plants and hummingbird feeders. When Marie went out to tend to her plants, I fully expected the birds to scatter. A few did but the majority hung around, greedy and eager for the feeders to be replenished with their supply of nectar. Marie beckoned for me to come out and join her. I stepped through the sliding glass door and inhaled the heady fragrance of lemon and lavender and felt the warmth of the sun as my eyes adjusted to the brightness and vivid hues of the plants. I could hear the hummingbirds buzzing; there were that many. “Just stand very still,” Marie instructed, “and they’ll come to you.”

I watched her and just as she said, a hummingbird lit on the inside of her wrists, the tiny wings beating in a blur. I was mesmerized. The hummingbird stayed there for a second before resuming flight. We went about tending to the plants when I looked up and there was a hummingbird perched on the railing of the deck.  I was very still and it looked at me. It hopped just a little bit closer and observed me.  I didn’t want to look away. I guess it got bored with me and finally flew away. This was all very intriguing to me because while I had seen plenty of hummingbirds growing up (my mom always planted lots of red salvia for them) it never occurred to me that you could literally “get up close and personal” with them.

It was high noon and overhead the sun was heating up quickly. A gentle breeze stirred and I could hear the croaking of bullfrogs in the nearby pond. By now the hummingbirds had gotten used to our presence and ignored us. As I turned to go back inside to the air-conditioned comfort, I felt a sensation against my upper arm. I turned to see a hummingbird graze me in passing to a nearby flower. I turned to Marie and we both broke into a broad smile.

Here are some fun facts about hummingbirds. If you are interested in planting a hummingbird garden – whether in the ground or in a container – here are a few ideas.  Lastly, if you are going to put out hummingbird feeder, read this article, which stresses the importance of regular feeder maintenance. Dirty feeders can harbor bacteria which can cause fatal liver disease in hummingbirds. Hummingbirds are included on the eyelovebirds.com checklists for: Vancouver Island, BC;  Cape May, NJ; Birds of Washington – USA; Central Park –New York USA; Riefel Bird Sanctuary – BC Canada; Birds of Belize; Stanley Park – BC Canada; Birds of Vancouver, BC; Churchill and Northern Manitoba and Birds of Madagascar.

I’ve put out some plants on my balcony in hopes of attracting hummingbirds. I have magenta petunias and a basket with a mix of light violet-blue petunias and lobelia. I also have a basket of trumpet-shaped flowers in red, purple, golden-orange. (They look like small petunias but I am not sure what they are called.) I also put out a hanging basket of bright pink portcullises but I have a different MO for that, which I’ll share in another post!

balconybirder lives in an apartment complex in the south part of Kansas City, Mo. Birding is a hobby she enjoys much to the amusement (and chagrin) of her indoor tortie cat, Charlize.

 

 

 

 

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