Jill,
Regarding hummingbirds and holding them in my hand, I had an amazing experience. I was attempting to change the nectar in my hummingbird feeder when all of a sudden a hummer literally perched on my finger. It was close to my face, so close, in fact, that I could feel a slight breeze from its wings batting as it maintained its balance. I froze and was delighted when it remained on my finger for about 5 mintues. My husband was watching from the window and glanced at the clock to verify the time.
Another amazing thing was the day when a hummer got caught in an orb web that a huge garden spider had woven in our bay window. I cut the web and put the hummer on the ground, thinking it could free itself. It was unsuccessful, however, so I quickly called the vet and he told me to bring the bird to his office. A friend and I put it in a box and like an ambulance, we raced to the vet. The hummer was screaming the whole way, making a sound that I couldn't believe. It was more like a screech than a chirp. The vet spent about 25 minutes unraveling the web. Incidentally, he said that when he viewed the web under his microscope, he saw that it was brilliant colors like a rainbow. Upon freeing the bird, we all went outside and the vet raised it up to the sky. It flew away amidst a cheering crowd of people at the vet's office who had become interested in the whole event. When I got home, the hummer was already here, happily enjoying the nector in the feeder. Quite an experience, one I thought you might enjoy.
Guardian's Wife |
