by avian excitement
photos by husband with the better camera and zoom lens
Yesterday’s exciting entertainment for the granddaughters was to observe an avian visitor enter our solarium through an open door. We ourselves were behind closed sliding doors watching the poor stressed little hummingbird repeatedly bat itself against roof glass and windows, trying desperately to find its way back out. Occasionally it rested on windowsills, on the candle on the chandelier and most often on the wire of the parrot mobile! How sorry we felt for the little beauty in its stress. Why could it not see its way out the open door? Eventually, by carefully opening the interior door a little, perhaps the resulting cross draft helped to send it on its way to freedom, thankfully.
We really must get that screen door for we’ve had several hummingbirds and even a squirrel come in over the years, and not all survived the stress.
June 5, 2011 in Neat stuff by Marja-Leena
What interesting visitors. Fred was fortunate indeed to be able to photograph them.
Joe – visitors, in plural? Oh, you mean the wooden parrots as well, heh. Yes, we’re pleased his photos turned out where mine, with the pocket camera did not.
I’m so glad your tiny visitor got away without any harm. Your granddaughters must have been very relieved.
BTW: Did you know that hummingbirds are not allowed in Hawaii because they fertilize the pineapples and then they have seeds?
Some hummingbirds also fertilize orchids, I believe.
Little known facts!!!!
Hattie, no, I did not know those facts about hummingbirds! So they are not native there? I’d hate killing them just because of pineapples…
I love the picture of him on the parrot mobile. We had several who seemed to be contemplating a spin around our living room in Portland but happily the screen door was always closed.
What a relief that it managed to escape and what beautiful photos!
I love hummingbirds, they are magical. It’s great that your granddaughters were able to see it up close.
Susan, yes, I wondered if the hummingbird recognized the carvings as birds. From time to time, I do see hummingbirds outside our windows, and most recently I was very excited to see a vivid scarlet throated one that I’d never seen before.
Natalie, yes, hummingbirds are indeed magical, and the granddaughters loved it though they were pretty worried until it managed to escape.
I’ve seen some here on mountain trails, the skit by so fast.
Glad your visitor got out. Life is hard on wee birdies.
Zhoen, yes, the smaller and lower they are in the food chain… yet they are so fast it’s hard to imagine them getting captured unless hurt.
It must have been a tough call for the bird, amd glad it eventually found its way out the opening. Must have wondered about all those birds it had for company.
Anil, we were chatting today with someone who had a bird fly into his barn/workshop through a tiny opening in the wall, yet could not find its way out through the then opened wide barn doors! Perhaps when these birds panic and become disoriented, they don’t see as well as they usually do? I like to think our little hummingbird found some comfort in the company of the wood parrots.
You know, there are all those weird legends and beliefs about birds flying through unscreened windows and doors or down chimneys… And it does happen surprisingly often.
Marly, that’s so true!