hummingbird hatchlings

A birthday gift for both of us

Your deepest presence is in every small contracting and expanding.
the two as beautifully balanced and coordinated
as bird wings. —Rumi

We celebrated my friend Karin’s birthday last Friday by getting together at my house for lunch. “A rare fusion of fluff and majesty,”  she’s a peony in my friendship garden.

One of the highlights of the afternoon: Seeing pure, unadulterated joy spread across Karin’s face as she climbed the ladder and peeked into Walela’s hummingbird nest.

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And look!  Walela took the spotlight in her evening wear, right after she left. Those iridescent feathers rival anything haute couture we might’ve seen at the Grammys last night. Agree?

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For reasons unknown to us, the hatchling to the right of the screen didn’t make it. That’s Mother Nature’s doing, and the undoing of some who are fortunate enough to witness miracles like this as they unfold. Of course I’m sad–who wouldn’t be? But I’m comforted by the fact that there’s a greater power at work here, with wisdom beyond our own understanding.

Shadows sometimes fall when we least expect them. But sure as daylight follows night, “Joy cometh in the morning.” Want proof? This little guy just opened his peepers!

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Flights of Fancy, Wings of Joy

“Walela” (Wah-ley-lah) is the Cherokee name for hummingbird.

There is something inside the soul of all of us that wants to soar through sunbeams, then dance midair in a delicate mist, then take a simple bath on a leaf. There is something in our souls that wants to hover at beautiful moments in our lives, making them freeze in time. There is something in us that wants to fly backwards and savor once more the beautiful past. Some of us are just hummingbird people. — Animal Speak, by Ted Andrews

Meet Walela, the Allen’s Hummingbird mama who’s taken up residence in the fuchsia bush beside my front door.

She’s sheltering two hatchlings in her feather-soft nest.

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And no small measure of joy.

Thankful Thursday: Winged wonders

Be like a bird
That pausing in her flight
Awhile on boughs to light,
Feels them give way
Beneath her and yet sings,
Knowing that she hath wings.
Victor Marie Hugo

It's National Bird Day, so who else to celebrate this Thankful Thursday than our fine feathered friends!

Here's a photograph of Tama and Itzel, who graced my citrus trees a few years back. I'm grateful for the beauty their mother bestowed on my home, and for the life lessons her hatchlings offered as they broke free of their shells, sprouted long beaks and pinfeathers, and eventually took wing. Their story weaves together tragedy, triumph, and transcendence, as all good stories do, and lingers with me now…. 

(This series of posts chronicles "my" hummingbirds' lives, from egg to fledge.)

Home again

Hello, dear friends! I’m still jet-lagged, but here I am at home again, and everything that implies. I’m eager to catch up with you, to hear all the latest. But until I’ve got both feet planted on this side of the continent again, I’m hoping you’ll accept this touch-and-go landing…

When I arrived in Connecticut a little more than a week ago, my in-laws were frail and unsettled. At times, and each in turn, they seemed ready to let go. Scary times, for all concerned–a lot like what’s depicted in this short video, in fact. But when we said our goodbyes on Saturday, they seemed much more relaxed. Rejuvenated, even. I think that comes of having their affairs in order, of settling into their new nests. For now, and for however long, they’re clinging to life and to each other. =:) 

It was a challenging time for lots of reasons–the cold weather, among them. I’m not used to wrapping myself in thick layers of clothing, or navigating wintery conditions. Example: One moonless night, my car got wedged between shoulder-high snow berms on a lonely country road. No GPS…wearing gym shoes and makeshift winter gear, I truly thought I was going to suffer the same plight as the Little Match Girl. Until, that is, a burly guy in a pickup truck swooped in to save me. Whew, thank goodness for guardian angels! 

A stranger in unfamiliar territory, I nevertheless found myself surrounded by the many kindnesses of old and new friends. For instance, I’m still beaming this morning as I think about the wonderful afternoon I spent with Jeannine Atkins. We’ve talked online for awhile now, but hadn’t visited in person. So I was beyond thrilled when she suggested an afternoon get together at the Chaiwalla tea house in Salisbury, Connecticut. Generous soul that she is, she braved the winter roads to meet me! Sunshine streamed through the picture window, surrounding us with warmth and light. It was a balmy 50 degrees that afternoon–a perfect complement to a cozy conversation among friends. And when she presented me with lavender-blueberry chocolate squares, plus an inscribed copy of BORROWED NAMES, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. (She’s posted a far more eloquent description of our afternoon–with pictures–here.)

One more bit of news, and then I really must unpack: Phoebe’s newest hatchlings finally fledged! If you know me, you already know that I’ve watched this video time and again. My heart soars whenever I do! Phoebe’s had some tough luck of late–some of her eggs weren’t fertile, and a few hatchlings fell prey to hawks. But good mama that she is, Phoebe never gave up. She built one nest after the other, and nourished each brood as if it were her first. And it just so happened that Bea and Jay took to the skies, on Valentine’s Day, no less! Hope–that shimmery thing with feathers–lives on and on and on. 

Nesting

I’m not one whit interested in spectator sports, not even the Super Bowl.

But oooh, check out these LiveCam images of a mama hummingbird and her hatchling! If I didn’t have so many chores on my list, I’d watch them all day long.

Remember the magical day I discovered a hummingbird nest in my backyard? It was so much fun to watch those babies grow! Our Mama hummingbird abandoned her nest long ago, and over time, its walnut shape was flattened by devil winds and torrential rains. And yet, it’s still held in place by spider silk–a lingering reminder of the tiny miracles it once held. 

New column, freshly hatched!



The latest issue of SisterDivas Magazine is now live, my newest All That Glitters column included.

"Nesting" is a sappy sentimental piece about small pleasures and big changes, with several links to hummingbird photos, no extra charge. Click here if  you want to read it.

Also! 

A musing: How is it that strangers new friends stumble across my little corner of the Internet? According to my stat counter, yesterday’s entry attracted someone from the U.S. House of Representatives. Well, hello there! Would you like to sit awhile and chat?

Circle of Life

I’ll fly away, oh glory
I’ll fly away
When I die, hallelujah, by and by,
I’ll fly away.
folk song

Earlier today, baby Tama was sipping from citrus blossoms and basking in the sun. But sometime this afternoon, our tiny hummingbird passed away. 

I like to imagine her spirit’s soaring, even though her body never did.

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Hummingbird holdover, Day 27

The remaining hummingbird (Tama? Itzel?) doesn’t seem too anxious to fly the coop. Orange blossoms are hanging heavy over her nest, so whenever she gets hungry, she stretches out her long beak and feasts on nectar from the open flowers. And of course, her mama still buzzes by to feed her insects and other goodies. This is the hummingbird equivalent of the Queen of Sheba, eating peeled grapes proffered by palm-frond-waving servants. 

Dave (from Wild Birds Unlimited) said our hummingbird hatchling should be looking for her own dining room table by now. But with food in such abundance, it seems she’s got no incentive to venture out on her own. 

I certainly have no problem with her staying as long as she likes. But maybe it’s time for a little tough love, Mama? 

Our hummingbirds have names, day 26

Squeak sat in her little nest
and poked her sister Squawk
I think, she said, that we should have
a sister-sister talk.
If we don’t fly I’m just afraid
that one of us will smother
And, Lordy, that will disappoint
our helicopter-mother.
Susan Winning
 

The remaining hummingbird seems nonplussed by its sibling’s absence. In fact, I think it rather enjoys having extra room in which to spread his wings and fluff out its feathers. Look closely at the plumage on its head…see that tiny bit of purple poking through? The one who flew the coop yesterday had even more purple on its head. It’s still too early to be certain of their sex, but male Costa’s Hummingbirds have purple crowns.

Earlier today I met with Dave Brandt, a certified Bird and Bird Feeding expert at Wild Birds Unlimited. He graciously agreed to select the winning entry in the Hummingbird Naming Contest. 

Dave indulged my whimsy undertook his responsibilities with all due seriousness. First he read carefully through all the entries, nodding and smiling at the (16!) high-caliber submissions. Then looking off into the distance, he reflected on his choices. In the end, he gave his resounding endorsement to the names submitted by Sharon, aka whiskersink. 

Tama (which means jewel) and Itzel (which means rainbow)

If you haven’t yet read the Mayan folk tale on which they’re based, you simply must.

Thanks for judging the contest, Dave! I love your store, and I’m so grateful for all you’re teaching me about these tiny creatures. Thanks also to everyone who entered this contest — your ideas were fabulous, and I love that you’re sharing this miracle with me. And, of course, special congratulations to you, Sharon! Please send me your address, so I can send you a copy of Flight Plans: A Bird’s-eye View of Life.