Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
and never stops at all.
–Emily Dickenson
A hummingbird darted past my picture window today, her tiny green wings whirring and shimmering in the sunlight. She hovered in and around our citrus trees, clicking a warning to the pair of mourning doves perched on the redwood fence close by.
What’s she protecting, I wondered.
I grabbed my camera, dragged a ladder out of the garage, and headed into my backyard for a closer look.
Check it out: She’s built a tiny nest in the crook of an orange tree branch!
Notice, too, the small buds at the base of the leaf stems. They’re about ready to burst. Have you ever smelled citrus flowers? In a word, intoxicating.
Hope springs eternal, doesn’t it? In the dead of winter, there’s reason for optimism.
Happy (early) spring, everyone.
Wow! I just finished reading FEATHERS by Jacqueline Woodson which has that opening line on the cover. We’re connected yet again, Melodye. 🙂
Cannot wait for spring!
I’m so glad for all the ways we’re linked!
I wish for you an early spring… Meantime, here’s a few Alaska azaleas from my yard:
Ahhhh………..
Aww…I don’t think I’ve ever seen a hummingbird nest. Imagine how tiny the babies must be. :>)
I agree about orange blossoms–intoxicating. Today I caught a whiff of jasmine. Mmm!
Happy (early) spring to you, too!
The eggs were almost microscopic — the size of a baby’s fingernails.
For you, a pink flower picked from my garden this morning. (You don’t mind sharing, do you?)
Not at all. Thank you!
You must must must go get a copy of HUMMINGBIRD NEST by Kristine O’Connell George. You will absolutely love it, especially considering you have the book being lived out in front of you right now!
I’ll look it up online this afternoon. It sounds wonderful — thanks so much for the suggestion!!
That’s really neat…I always think of S. CA when I smell citrus.
Citrus is one of my favorite fragrances.
I was humbled by the sight of that tiny little nest. What a treat, to say the least.
Mmmm, I love the scent of citrus.
No hummingbirds in sight today – they don’t make woolly sweaters that tiny.
p.s. you climbed a ladder?
Mmm, me too. I feel so lucky that they’re blooming, especially since I haven’t been very attentive to my trees for several months.
PS Yep. I’m brave when I wanna be.
What a beautiful treasure to find!
And yes, citrus flowers are one of the most heady fragrances! Thank you for sharing such a lovely post!
Treasure is the perfect word! My heart beat almost as fast as the hummingbird’s wings when I saw her nest.
I’m glad you enjoyed seeing it too. xo
That is the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen. You get to be a god-momma to teeny-tiny hummingbird babies! 🙂
god-momma: I like that.
I just checked again, to be sure she hadn’t been scared away by my curiosity. She’s perched on her nest, looking quite content. What a peaceful sight!
Two of my favorite things–orange blossoms and bird nests–especially hummingbird nests that are hardly bigger than a thimble. They make you feel like everything is right with the world. Thanks for sharing
I’d never seen a hummingbird nest before. They’re so tiny, aren’t they? The eggs are almost microscopic.
You’re right: they do make everything seem brighter, more peaceful, more promising… 🙂
Oh, how lovely!!! Hummingbirds are so amzing!
((Amanda!)) I haven’t seen you on LJ in a while! Another happy sighting o’ the day! 🙂
Well, you know what weather wimps we are: If it gets below 60, we shiver.
I hadn’t either, before today. They’re much tinier than the inside of a demitasse cup.
You little adventurer, you!
I didn’t have to venture too far, now did I? I found adventure in my own backyard.
So beautiful!
We have hummingbirds in the backyard as well….their wings are almost invisible!
We’re lucky, aren’t we? I think hummingbirds are among the most beautiful birds of all.
Beautiful. Needless to say, I’m rather jealous. ;o)
I’ll post more pictures, just for you. 🙂
That is so cool! I’ve never seen a hummingbird nest before. Thanks for sharing your discovery today.
Me, either. I couldn’t wait to play show-and-tell! 🙂
I adore hummingbirds. 🙂 And I adore that poem too.
I’ve been reading lots of accolades about your poetry, too. 🙂
Delightful! Thanks!
Oooh, those cherry blossoms are beautiful, too!
yes, it is a world in minature 🙂
a lovely one as well!
Oh, your icon puppy’s wagging tail says it all.
Such a happy sight, isn’t it?
How was your riding lesson? Your horse is so beautiful, and you look so happy together. I hope you can teach her not to buck.
I loved seeing this today.
xo
I’m glad. It lifted my spirits, too. xo
How wonderful! Son and I have been watching David Attenborough’s Life of Birds which is full of hummingbirds. To think you found a nest–that’s really special. Thanks for sharing your discovery, and happy early spring to you too, Melodye.
I’ve not heard of Life of Birds before. Sounds fascinating!
Call me sappy, but I saw that nest as a sign of good things to come. I couldn’t wait to share my exciting discovery with you. xo
That’s so neat Melodye! We have hummingbirds here but I’ve never seen a nest before. Thanks for posting the picture.
Oh what I wouldn’t give for an early spring! We have ANOTHER snowstorm om the way today and an arctic blast coming tomorrow Grrrr!!
Do you have hummingbirds in the winter, too? I wonder how they stay warm.
Please don’t overdo the shoveling, Sharon. This sounds like a good weekend to snuggle indoors with a good book.
On a different subject, thanks again so very much for the Candles for Coral site. She doesn’t have a computer, so I read everyone’s messages to her over the phone. She cried, but they were happy, grateful tears.
Nope, we only have “hummers” as J called them when he was little, in the spring, summer and fall.
I’m all set with plenty of water for flushing and for drinking/cooking/dishes as well as running the oven(baking cranberry bread)to get it extra warm in here in case the power goes out
Did you get my email? I sent you a copy of the messages so you could print them out for Coral. Will send you another batch tomorrow.
I did get your lovely email, and I printed out a copy to mail to Coral. Thanks also for including your address and phone number…I’ll give you a call sometime soon, if that’s okay.
Wow, living through heavy, cold winters is hard work, isn’t it? I can’t imagine having to plan so far ahead. Well…actually, I did endure harsh winters more than once, as you probably know. But now, it’s a lot easier for me, la la la. I admire your hearty pioneer spirit and constitution!!
*sends you warm hugs*
THAT IS AWESOME!!! My hummingbirds are certainly far away from here, summering in the south!
It’s awesome to see the mama hummer sleeping atop her tiny little nest. I hope to be able to take more photos as time goes by, but I won’t risk being intrusive, of course.
One of the lovely things about living in a state with seasons, is that when the trees lose all their leaves, oft times a little nest is visible in the higher branches. It’s soooo sweet. Hiding places revealed.
It’s fun to think about baby birds being nutured in those nests, isn’t it?
Oh, that is amazing! Thanks for the reminder to hope.
It was like a sign, you know? I’m glad you appreciated it, too. 🙂
OMG how did I miss this one!!!
Love it, love it, love it! Gwen approves wholeheartely!
zamsLiLLqOeCXpOUcidFkrmPg
Continue xanax for social anxiety reviews – buy xanax online australia
VeLiSZhGIsFzPzYTcOeAydPSRDdswTOSJjMYBzzWMtBYK
buy xanax overnight delivery 1mg xanax xr – what is xanax drug class
QwnfqbGGGeEErNLICAYVgrgAhOOIQf
retin a online retin-a gel amazon – retin-a cream retin-a gel
KgmyoJLWUZ
legal buy tramadol online tramadol 100mg get you high – buy tramadol online with echeck
AFiRMKBEMOtLfz
buy tramadol online tramadol 50mg can you get high – tramadol hcl 25mg dogs