Some people don't understand the attachment that us "hummingbirders" have to these tiny creatures. Hummingbirds have an innocence about them. They're naive to danger. They flit and flutter from flower to flower and to the nectar feeders, displaying their remarkable flying skills. Sometimes I hear the buzz of their furiously flapping wings and know they're close by before I see them. They make me smile, and it doesn't take long before I've claimed them as my own. Each one is unique and recognizable by certain traits and behaviors that are different from all the others.
I was fortunate to have a nest just outside my dining area window. The mama bird was not afraid of me and let me get quite close to her nest. She'd flutter close to me as I sat on the patio, seemingly summoning me to come and check on her nest. I could photograph her and the babies at very close range and she allowed my presence. I was thrilled when the babies hatched and grew, but they quickly matured. Within days they fledged and left. There's a void when the hatchlings don't return to your yard. Watching them was a small miracle. I cared about them and knew they had to leave, probably never to return. It's extremely rewarding watching a successful nesting, but sorrowful to watch them go. This is what they're meant to do so I'll just be gratelful for the miracle I got to witness up close and personal .
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