Hummers

[bigpinks]

Had to tell this. Down in the dumps this morning cause my mom who is 94 is in Hospital on way to a Nursing home. My tomato plants are big and hardened but the weatherman says rain rain rain. Garden too wet. But this morning I saw a little hummer at the feeder which I filled a week ago. I always await this happening as a harbinger of good things coming. So maybe things are better than I thought.

[Worth1]

They have been hitting my desert flowering plants for some time now.
I have so many natural things for them to snack on I stopped putting out feeders for them.
The way I look at it if the refined sugar isn't good for me it isn't good for them.
Worth

[AlittleSalt]

It is hard to watch your parent/s going to nursing home.

I was watching a hummingbird feeding yesterday when a second one started feeding on the same feeder. It was larger than the other one. I thought it was odd that they didn't try to chase each other away.

[SteveP]

Last year I was sitting on the patio and saw a lil hummer fly around the corner of the house and he stopped mid flight about 8' from me. He looked at me for several seconds and then zoomed down and stopped about 6" in front of my face looking at me. After about 5 seconds he took off. It was very cool, but had me a little concerned he might attack my eyes. He didn't so no blood no foul.

[Jimbotomateo]

Originally Posted by SteveP

Last year I was sitting on the patio and saw a lil hummer fly around the corner of the house and he stopped mid flight about 8' from me. He looked at me for several seconds and then zoomed down and stopped about 6" in front of my face looking at me. After about 5 seconds he took off. It was very cool, but had me a little concerned he might attack my eyes. He didn't so no blood no foul.

He was checking to make sure it was you and not some interloper Steve . Jimbo

[SteveP]

Originally Posted by Jimbotomateo

He was checking to make sure it was you and not some interloper Steve . Jimbo

Lol, I couldn't believe how close he was. And that little sharp beak look like it could do damage.

[Worth1]

I know an Alaska native that had them and babies lined up on his arm waiting their turn at the feeder no joke.
I saw the pictuer and it was in a magazine or something.
I cant find it to save m life due to all of the darn tattoo photos.
I'm pretty sure this is Chiefs hand in this photo and I think it is stuffed or it may be alive.
I remember him showing it to me.

Worth

[Douglas_OW]

Maybe one of these pics?

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=...ding&FORM=AWIR

Jim

Originally Posted by Worth1

I know an Alaska native that had them and babies lined up on his arm waiting their turn at the feeder no joke.
I saw the pictuer and it was in a magazine or something.
I cant find it to save m life due to all of the darn tattoo photos.
I'm pretty sure this is Chiefs hand in this photo and I think it is stuffed or it may be alive.
I remember him showing it to me.

Worth

[Worth1]

Nope they were lined up on his arm.
He was telling me how the mothers or maybe fathers would help the little ones learn how to feed by pushing their beaks to the feeder holes.
Worth

[AlittleSalt]

Originally Posted by SteveP

Last year I was sitting on the patio and saw a lil hummer fly around the corner of the house and he stopped mid flight about 8' from me. He looked at me for several seconds and then zoomed down and stopped about 6" in front of my face looking at me. After about 5 seconds he took off. It was very cool, but had me a little concerned he might attack my eyes. He didn't so no blood no foul.

That just happened to me. I had just gotten our cat out of the tree when a hummingbird buzzed just above my head and then floated there right in front of me and the cat. It was around 2' from us. It was like it was trying to communicate or something.

[Worth1]

If you are wearing bright colors you are a wasp, bee, butterfly, and hummingbird magnet.
Worth

[AlittleSalt]

Yes, a red white and blue shirt. The shirt says Red White Blue. but mostly red.

[hill60]

I don't have any science to back me up but I do think the hummers recognize friend and foe. When they see you as friend or not a threat they get up close and personal.

I have been feeding hummers in my yard for 25 years so we have a fair population habituated to our place. I have seen them line up as Worth describes but only when the person is very familiar and able to be completely still. I have held them when they have gotten in the house and need rescuing.

I don't leave out feeders during the winter months. I know it is time to put them back out when they arrive back and hover at my kitchen window. It sure feels like they are telling me to get my act together and get the feeders out. When the feeders are empty they will dive at us although they have never hit us. Refilling the feeders is an adventure with them darting and diving at you.

They are always a cheerful sight.

[SteveP]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

That just happened to me. I had just gotten our cat out of the tree when a hummingbird buzzed just above my head and then floated there right in front of me and the cat. It was around 2' from us. It was like it was trying to communicate or something.

It's a strange feeling having those cute little guys stare you down isn't it salt? When it happened to me I did a Google search to see if there were any Hummingbird attacks on humans.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by hill60

I don't have any science to back me up but I do think the hummers recognize friend and foe. When they see you as friend or not a threat they get up close and personal.

I have been feeding hummers in my yard for 25 years so we have a fair population habituated to our place. I have seen them line up as Worth describes but only when the person is very familiar and able to be completely still. I have held them when they have gotten in the house and need rescuing.

I don't leave out feeders during the winter months. I know it is time to put them back out when they arrive back and hover at my kitchen window. It sure feels like they are telling me to get my act together and get the feeders out. When the feeders are empty they will dive at us although they have never hit us. Refilling the feeders is an adventure with them darting and diving at you.

They are always a cheerful sight.

I once saved a little bird from one of my cats.
I dried the cats slobbers off of it and put it on a tree limb.
The bird flew off off the limb landed on my shoulder and went chirp chirp looked at me and flew off.
Two other people saw it and were flabbergasted.
To this day I think that bird was thanking me.
It happened one time when I save a baby horned owl that fell out of it nest and landed in some briers too.
I took a stick got it out and put in in a clear spot.
The parent came down right in front of me and hooted then took the baby back to the nest.

I never met my grandfather at any age other than around one year old he died after that.
They say he could hold his arms out and the wild birds would come down and land on him.

A veterinarian once told me I had the strangest relationship with animals he had ever seen in his life.

He flipped out when a gopher snake crawled up onto my hand curled up and stuck its tongue out at him.
When I was a little kid there was one of those black fuzzy spiders with green eyes that hung out next to where I sat at the table on the wall.
When I sat down to eat I would put a little piece of meat out for it.
It would come down and dine next to me at the table.
I even had pet tarantulas growing up.
Folks may read this and think this is the biggest load of BS they have ever heard but it is as true as it can be.

Worth