| Remember When.... |
| Page 2 |
| Well, my first experience with Hummers was back in 1994, I had a fuchsia hanging basket hanging on my clothes line outside of my bathroom window, I had placed a fake hummingbird pick in it, its wings would spin around in the wind. One day my sister was over and she was looking out my bathroom window and saw the fake hummer, when she came out she said "Lisa I saw a hummingbird at your fuchsia plant, I said "Oh Really"!! We went to go look at the plant again, when she realized it was fake, we laughed, I love to fool people!! Well she left and went home and now it was me in the bathroom, I looked out at the fuchsia reliving my sister's surprise, when I realized there was a female hummer at my fuchsia next to my fake one, well I blinked my eyes, my mouth wide opened with excitement!!!! She's real!!! I called my sister, when she answered the phone I screamed "I had a real one at the plant, I looked out the window, and there she was" we laughed, that's when I was hooked, the next thing you knew, my yard had everything I could get to lure these little winged jewels to my yard, then we decided to buy a house, OH NO, I have to leave my hummer friends. We moved in Sept. 1996 we stayed in Dracut, just moved to the other side of town, the house was new, it had no landscaping, just alot of dirt, but that didn't stop me that next spring, I planted all kinds of hummer plants, and the first year went by and nothing, didn't see any flying jewels, until the following year around July 98, I was taking a rest sitting on my rock in my newly planted garden ( after doing lots of landscaping with my hubby), I had just bought a feeder and hung it on a black rod iron hanger, when all of a sudden I was just looking at all the flowers, I saw a flash of green color zoom by me, didn't think nothing of it, because I have lots of other birds like chickadees, goldfinches, cardinals, etc....( at the old place I had lots of sparrows, yuck)so I was excited to see all the other kinds of nice birds. Then I was looking at my zinnias, how they growing so nicely when all of a sudden a female hummer went to check them out also, that's when my new neighbors heard my first loudest craziest hummingbird scream!!!!!! "It's a hummingbird!!!!!Yahooooooo!!! Now every year around April/May I warn them that the hummers are on their way up, because I watch the Migration Map. In April of 2003, I participated in the Hummingbird fake feeder project, and saw my first female RT on May 15th, it was great, I had a resident Female RT all summer long till the middle of Sept. and this year my first hummer came on May 7th and it was a very friendly male, and I've been enjoying those flying jewels and going crazy with anything and everything that I can give to them. Dashly38/Lisa F, Dracut MASS |
 |
|
| I have loved hummingbirds since I was a small child. I can remember walking through my Great Grandmothers garden and being in awe of these little birds whose throats shimmered like jewels. I was blessed with Grandparents on both my mother and dads side that were nature lovers and taught me so many wonderful things about out birds and wildlife. They were all gardeners and taught me the love of gardening and flowers. My parents carried on the love of nature and I can not ever remember a time that my parents did not feed the bird and critters. They always made sure the neighbors came to feed and take care of them when they went on vacation. Even now though my mom can not get around very well dad keeps her feeders filled and flowers planted for them to enjoy from the porch. I have fed birds and critters for all the years I have been married. I think a bird feeder was about the first thing I bought when I moved out on my own for the first time. I have had hummer feeders for way over 25 years and have planted flowers all those years to draw in the hummingbirds. My love for Gods beauty in nature will never fail. It is so relaxing for me to sit out and watch nature in all its glory. Early morning and coffee out doors in the summer and dinner on the deck watching birds and the beauty of the blooming flowers are highlights of my day. Karan MI |
 |
| The first time I saw a live hummingbird was last year (2003). I had seen dead ones at the zoo and downtown that had run into windows, and marveled at their tiny, iridescent feathers. I planted some confederate jasmine around an arch in my front yard, and while at the nursery, saw a hummingbird feeder and I thought it would look cute hanging from the arch. It came with nectar so when I got home, after I planted the jasmine, I mixed the nectar and hung the feeder. My boyfriend (John) of 8 years, (who is from California) smokes and since I don't like it, he always goes out and smokes on the porch. The day after I hung the feeder, he came in from smoking and said "looks like you already have about 3 birds fighting over that feeder." I almost knocked him down as I raced outside! I stood out near my car for about 2 minutes and sure enough, here they came, chirping/chattering/chasing each other. I was so enthralled. John, who was used to seeing LOTS of hummers when he lived in Ca. couldn't believe I'd never seen one. Then he tells me that when I'd had flowers planted outside the year before, they were always there at the flowers. He never mentioned it because he thought I knew. After seeing them that first time last summer, I spent HOURS trying to get photos of them. When they left in the fall, I took time from outside to search the 'net about them and that's how I found this group of hummingbird lovers ;-) I searched for flowers that they liked and I ordered LOTS of starter plants off ebay and planted them as soon as they came in. I created a type of 'hummer garden' with only plants that they like ;-) They didn't show up this year until July 15, just when I was about to give up, thinking they weren't coming this year. I still sit outside every day after work to wind down and watch my jewels. They give a feeling of such peace, contentment and JOY! Wanda AL |
 |
 |
| I don�t remember exactly how old I was when I first saw a hummingbird but I do remember my grandmother saying, �Watch out for those birds!� �Their beaks are like needles and could put an eye out!� I always thought they were cute but that they would attack! I can remember them buzzing around our flower gardens and would always watch but from afar! I didn�t want to lose an eye! Thinking back maybe she just didn�t want me bothering her hummingbirds. When I grew older My Mother would by hummingbird feeders and hang them around her yard. I asked her once �don�t you worry about them attacking you?� She laughed at me. She said, �They don�t attack!� I said �but Granny Rains said they would attack and put your eye out!� She found this funny and laughed and said your grandmother just wanted to scare you. I said, �Well it worked!� It wasn�t until I was much much (2001) older that the Hummingbird caught my attention again. I had bought a new digital camera and was always going on picture shoots. If it sat still I shot it! Didn�t care what it was. I was sitting on my back porch looking for something to take a picture of (tired of cloud photos) and I noticed my neighbors� hummingbird feeder! There was a hummingbird eating at it so I thought wow now there�s a challenge. I remember zooming in and bam it was gone. Now hummingbirds are my biggest photo challenge. I am always trying to find a way to improve my shots. Like sitting for hours trying to get the ultimate shot. Oh and by the way I�m much older now and I figured out for sure that my grandmother had told me this to keep me from bothering HER hummingbirds. Peeka (KY) |
| Dressed in a shimmering white party dress that I had made myself, I was seated next to my grandmother's favorite flower bed. I was seventeen, withdrawn, and quite upset in general. With my legs curled to the side, I leaned toward the flowers to touch the red petunias and smell the lavender. I barely noticed them though, because I was too absorbed in my negative emotions. The affair I was forced to attend earlier that evening was boring and stuffy, and I highly resented being forced to go. Even at the age of seventeen, I was not allowed to go out with friends or see school games, but I was expected to go where told. My attitude this particular evening was as sour and negative as it gets. A buzzing sound got my attention for a second, and my initial response was to swat in the general direction it came from. Assuming it was a bee, I did this instinctually a few more times before hearing a high pitched chirping sound. That was when a tiny flying miracle of nature flew in front of my eyes, hovering with spectacular control. The setting sun glinted on the creature's throat, casting an iridescent glow that reminded me of crushed rubies. In an instant I was hypnotized. My demeanor was drastically changed as I began to feel as though my spot in the world was the most beautiful place to be on God's Earth. My heart and my soul had been touched by a male ruby throated hummingbird. As he flew away, I was left with the feeling that the smallest things in life can be the very best, whether it be the sighting of a tiny bird, or attending a boring event with your grandmother, simply to be with her. TJ (NC) |
 |