Hummingbird Greetings

Sadly this is a stock photo from Wix and not one I took myself.

Every morning in Palm Desert I wake and reach my arms high over my head to get the circulation going in my body, and greet the new day.  I do this while looking out the sliding glass doors to our small atrium fountain that starts babbling at 6:30 each morning.

As I stretch and appreciate the vibrant blue skies outside, I am met by a tiny hummingbird.  The bird seems to enjoy the gentle bubbling water for its morning ablutions.  As I stretch and get my body to bend and move, this little fellow buzzes in for a drink, then zips to a tree, repeating this sequence several times.

An example of a colorful hummingbird. (Courtesy of Wix)

Finally, the tiny colorful bird stops flying and begins to take its bath in the bubbling water.  He dips one wing and then the other, making sure to shake off excess water after he finishes both wings.

This bathing and drinking ritual goes on for several minutes every morning.  More than once I have stood and observed his morning ritual, pausing my own stretching routine.  Yesterday, while the bathroom window was open, I leaned out and said hello as he took his bath.

I assume he sensed my love of birds and tilted his head towards me as he stared at the window for a closer look.  Satisfied that I was a friend and not a foe, the tiny hummingbird sat for several seconds to rest. Goodness, that bird with its iridescent purple feathers is truly a marvel.

I don’t know for certain, but I think we both were looking at each other.  As I moved to close the window, I bid the bird a good day. And as he flew off in search of nectar I walked off to find my coffee.

Several days later we had a fierce multi-day wind storm here in the desert.  I was sitting at my desk writing letters while the palm trees bent and swayed outside.  From my peripheral vision I caught movement at the window.

I was shocked to see my little hummingbird friend hovering in front of the sliding glass door looking at me from his tiny eye.  I kid you not, the trees were bent over, looking like they would snap and this fellow was paused in flight looking at me.

While the Canadian geese and Mallard ducks were safely swimming in the pond this little guy was out and about, looking unfazed. Maybe he was fazed, but I've never seen a hummingbird in distress, so I am going to go with my first thought that he was just fine.

That windy flight demonstration was just another example of how fearless and determined these little birds are.  While he didn’t stay long at the window, I know he was looking at me, snuggly inside the house, my hair not moving an inch. I couldn't help but wonder, what was he thinking as he hovered there?

Hummingbirds are an amazing species.  They must constantly eat to survive and their wings rarely stop moving for long.   I can't count the number of times I have tried to take a photo of hummingbirds in flight, but failed to do so. 

The hummingbird who comes to visit me is a Costa’s hummingbird.  I think he and his wife might be building a nest nearby, which would make sense since it is a quiet area, filled with flowers and a perpetually running bath.

A Google search on the bird's behavior towards humans showed that they are curious and can remember certain people.  This seems especially true if a human has a nectar feeder in their yard. 

While I don’t have a feeder, I do have a water supply in a safe area.and plenty of nectar-rich flowers.  Perhaps the fountain coupled with flowering plants around our house has marked me as a human of note?

I will never know for sure if I am special in his eyes but our mornings together will always start my day with a smile and a feeling of goodwill.

Have a great week!