Hummingbird Encounters
I walked outside with my dog Oscar and we immediately had a delightful bird encounter. We saw a flickering, fluttering hummingbird hovering over the remains of our winter garden. I wasn't expecting so see such a delicate little bird during the winter time.
The little guy was chilling on the branch of the apple tree for a very long time. There is something strange about seeing hummingbirds actually stay still. I am accustomed to those little birds being in constant motion. But, even the fast movers need a moment to relax.
I got a hummingbird feeder last spring. I like making my yard inviting to animals. Other animal friendly items I want for my yard include a bee house, a bat house, flowers that attract wildlife, and maybe something special for the squirrels. I already have several bird feeders besides the hummingbird feeder. We get mostly sweet little chickadees and finches. We have lots of crows near by too. We will occasionally get stellar jays. I like them all! Higher up, soaring near by we also have seagulls. We are about two miles away from Puget Sound, so that's why we are lucky enough to see the sea birds even if we can't see the sea.
I make my own hummingbird from scratch! Impressive of me, I know! Ha! Just kidding. It's very simple. Mix one part sugar to four parts water. Boil (to kill hummingbird-harming bacteria!), refrigerate, serve up in your feeder. The dye that comes in some manufactured hummingbird food isn't the best for the little creatures, nor is the idea of adding dye to homemade hummingbird feeder.
Once the hummingbird spotted me, he zoomed right over to me. Then he hovered right in front of my face before speeding away. I was wearing a bright red hat, so I think for a moment he thought he had found a giant flower.
I wish I had gotten a picture of my fluttering friend, but it was a fleeting moment. And sometimes those magical moments are best left uncaptured by the lens of a camera.
But during the summer, I had plenty of hummingbird encounters! One day while painting outside, I even got some pictures of a humming bird.
The little guy was chilling on the branch of the apple tree for a very long time. There is something strange about seeing hummingbirds actually stay still. I am accustomed to those little birds being in constant motion. But, even the fast movers need a moment to relax.
I got a hummingbird feeder last spring. I like making my yard inviting to animals. Other animal friendly items I want for my yard include a bee house, a bat house, flowers that attract wildlife, and maybe something special for the squirrels. I already have several bird feeders besides the hummingbird feeder. We get mostly sweet little chickadees and finches. We have lots of crows near by too. We will occasionally get stellar jays. I like them all! Higher up, soaring near by we also have seagulls. We are about two miles away from Puget Sound, so that's why we are lucky enough to see the sea birds even if we can't see the sea.
I make my own hummingbird from scratch! Impressive of me, I know! Ha! Just kidding. It's very simple. Mix one part sugar to four parts water. Boil (to kill hummingbird-harming bacteria!), refrigerate, serve up in your feeder. The dye that comes in some manufactured hummingbird food isn't the best for the little creatures, nor is the idea of adding dye to homemade hummingbird feeder.
The hummingbirds that visited me in my yard live in the neighbors tree. I heard them make their clicking chirp in that next-door tree quite often. But they liked to visit our apple tree to lounge for a bit and sip upon the hummingbird food I give them.
One time while lounging under our apple tree, I heard a bunch of racket from the leafy depths of the tree. Out sprung two battling hummingbirds. They were viciously going for each other! I think of hummingbirds as peaceful creatures, but they have a ferocious side! Everyone was unharmed, including my own perception of hummingbirds majesty. Nature is even more delightful because it is full of surprises, like that creatures that seem weak and delicate are actually mighty and assertive.