A Bit of Hummingbird Magic in the Mist

"From the sounds of it, I just might have to enlarge my collection of bird-enticing accessories.  I was considering the mister, but decided on a dripper, for now.  Maybe I’ll add a mister, once I decide on an appropriate location.  I have to relate a story ...  something that happened to me last year, which was the most enthralling experience I’d had with any bird. 

 

We were in a bit of drought, in our area. On one of those days when we were allowed to water our plants, I used a hand-held hose.  I was quietly standing at the corner of our house ....  right at the end of a hummingbird flight “corridor”, between ourselves and our neighbors.  I was in my “zen” frame of mind, standing quietly, with the hose on a gentle spray, when I heard a hummingbird.  One flew right in front of me, through the spray.  I froze.   He landed on a lilac bush, and immediately returned, through the spray. 

 

I couldn’t believe what was happening.  I slowly turned down the force of the spray, to make it even more gentle.  The hummingbird came back, through the spray and onto the bush to preen.  If I thought that was amazing, I was completely unprepared for what happened next.

 

The little hummingbird flew into the spray, and stopped!  It was no more than 3 or 4 feet away from me.  He turned to face me, dropped his body so it was perpendicular to the ground, opened/fanned out his lower feathers, and opened his wings.  He was hovering, totally perpendicular, facing me, and the spray from the hose.  He stayed like that for maybe 15-20 seconds.  I was totally stunned.  We ‘locked’ eyes   lol .....  

 

And absolutely no one was around to see.   In my mind, I was screaming at my husband to come out and see what was happening !

 

That’s what has prompted me to look for something water-related for hummingbirds, for this summer.  After all, I can’t stand by the side of the house, with a hose, waiting for a hummingbird to fly past  LOL"