A friend in Albuquerque invited me to her farm yesterday to meet the newest member of her family, a year-old donkey named Bernard. I knew I had arrived in a magical place the minute I got out of my truck. Justina walked me over to a low-hanging branch of a giant tree next to her house and pointed out the tiniest nest I had ever seen, with two itty-bitty hummingbirds, sitting there happily peeping away.
I came back with my camera a few minutes later to find just one tiny bird in the nest.
Uh-oh. But there was still a lot of peeping going on. I looked down, and sitting in the grass mere inches from the toe of my boot sat bird #2. How I managed not to step on him was part of the magic of this place, where all of the animals are in very good hands.
Oh my gosh, that is incredible! We have many 'hummers' around here and they put on quite a show, but I've yet to find a nest. Your pictures of them are amazing!
ReplyDeleteSo adorable. Like two little peas in a pod. I am perpetually amazed by the genius of nest building...
ReplyDeleteAwww. That was definitely the good deed for the day!
ReplyDeleteHow neat. I had a hummingbird in my hand this morning but no camera. The story might be ending happily. I hope. Our cat dropped a fledgling hummer onto the living room floor. I picked it up and it clung to my finger, a good sign. Its eyes were open another encouraging sign. We took it outside and put it on a big rock. It sat there and when I came back, it was gone. The cat often doesn't use his teeth and that's the main hope for the baby's survival. He's inside for awhile and I am trying to figure out a way to save the babies when they come down close to the ground for the in-ground fuchsia. It's the drawback of cats who have access to the outdoors but ours love it so much that I hate to permanently end that privilege. The solution might be in planting the fuchsia in a pot where it can be higher up.
ReplyDeleteA magical place YES! I have found a couple swallow babies who did not make it. Unfortunately the drop to the concrete floor in the barn is not so cush-y.
ReplyDeleteAwesome pictures of course!
What sweetness. That one of the little hummer sitting in the palms of the hands is just beautiful. A perfect picture story for a lazy Sunday. :-)
ReplyDeleteAmazing photos! I was just snooping around on the internet and found your site by accident but it was so relaxing to run across yours.
ReplyDeleteI've had 4 hummers fly into my house this year, so far and had to release them before my dog noticed them. For the first time in the 12+ years I've been here now, I have a completely different breed of hummers that I can not find in any books I have, nor can I find them online but they are a real treat to watch.
The baby looked like it was so calm about the whole thing. How cute!
ReplyDeleteDid you take any pictures of Bernard? I'd love to see a young donkey or burro. Your two are so playful I would imagine the young ones are really fun to be around.
A good deed, well done!
ReplyDeleteOh, you lucky, lucky woman! Not only to find the nest, but to have seen a baby hummingbird up close! Truly a magic moment!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! That is so cool! I guess it is a humming bird week! :)
ReplyDeleteI like the happy ending!
ReplyDeleteOh, how sweet and tiny, I just love hummingbirds!!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful place!! Bernard is a doll...the baby hummers are amazing!
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