Ever hold a hummingbird?

rodfish · Post by **rodfish** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:40 pm

This lady lives in a Hummingbird fly zone. As they migrated, about 20 of them were in her yard. She took the little red dish, filled it with sugar water and this is the result.
The Woman is Abagail Alfano of Pine, Louisiana - she has been studying them daily and one morning put the cup from the feeder, with water in it, in her hand; as they had gotten used to her standing by the feeder they came over to her hand. She says in touching they are as light as a feather. Abagail also said, 'if she had known her husband was taking pictures she would have put on makeup.'

What a neat thing to experience! (Makeup or no.)

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:44 pm

I can see why she thought she needed makeup, but that has to be magical nonetheless. One time a cousin of mine caught a hummingbird in a little box when it accidentally flew into her house. She kept it a few minutes and then let it go. It was wonderful to see it so up-close. They are so shiny in real life, something that Internet pictures don't fully portray.

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:46 pm

way cool!

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:54 pm

I've held one- but it didn't have a choice. I held it while the vet splinted it's wing with a sliver of wood. The anesthesia was a bit touchy.It healed and wasl released back to the wild blue yonder.

rodfish · Post by **rodfish** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:58 pm

cowtime wrote:I've held one- but it didn't have a choice. I held it while the vet splinted it's wing with a sliver of wood. The anesthesia was a bit touchy.It healed and wasl released back to the wild blue yonder.

Now that is cool!!

Aanvil · Post by **Aanvil** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 7:55 pm

I shot one as a kid.

I was just goofing around and I didn't think I would hit it.

I felt really bad.

Helluva shot though.

mutepointe · Post by **mutepointe** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 8:00 pm

Gasp.

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 1:30 am

They are very sweet! - Must be the sugar-water. I was privileged to hold a kingfisher once.

chrisoff · Post by **chrisoff** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 2:48 am

Aanvil wrote: Helluva shot though.

Hummingbirds are great, my brother took some pictures of them when he was on his honeymoon in costa rica earlier this year:

Not quite as cool as holding a heap of them in your hand though.

Dragonwhistler · Post by **Dragonwhistler** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 5:35 am

I have a friend who breeds them in captivity. I think for the moment he's the only one in Europa who has consistant succes breeding them. Very lovely little birds! I can watch them for hours.

dwest · Post by **dwest** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 5:53 am

I've banded/ringed a few hundred. Ramsey Canyon AZ is an incredible place to see them as is Bentsen State Park TX.

djm · Post by **djm** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 6:09 am

These images have been floating around the net for a few years, now. The thing that struck me was that everything I've read on hummers is about how bad tempered they are, quick to anger, quick to attack - other birds, cats, people - anyone they think is interfering or threatening them. These pictures show that hummers can become acclimated to our presence fairly easily, but that they still don't know the lyrics.

djm

dwest · Post by **dwest** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 6:35 am

djm wrote:These images have been floating around the net for a few years, now. The thing that struck me was that everything I've read on hummers is about how bad tempered they are, quick to anger, quick to attack - other birds, cats, people - anyone they think is interfering or threatening them. These pictures show that hummers can become acclimated to our presence fairly easily, but that they still don't know the lyrics.

djm

They know them just fine, problem is you have to play them back in slo-mo to be able to understand them

To us it just sounds like Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

hyldemoer · Post by **hyldemoer** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 8:13 am

I think the real magic and beauty here is the woman.

I haven't got a clue why she needed make up on.
What part of her was ugly?

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 8:29 am

hyldemoer wrote:I think the real magic and beauty here is the woman.

I haven't got a clue why she needed make up on.
What part of her was ugly?

Not ugly, just not acceptable by what society says women should look like, which is what I took her to mean. Her skin is blotchy and not colored well, she has bags under her eyes, her lips are receding, her teeth are yellowed, she has crows feet, and her hair cut looks like a little boy's. Haley Joel Osment, in fact, resembles her a great deal:

In addition, that outfit looks like a cross between what a psychiatric ward patient and a mammy would wear to a picnic. The top alone with jeans or some kind of solid print pants (or the bottom part of a one piece? I can't tell clearly from the picture) would have been fine, but striped pants are not something most people should wear, especially if the pattern is going to cover your whole body.