Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Hummingbird Hero

Okay. I'm not one to have lightning strike twice in the same place. Last week, I rescued a hummingbird from its peril as it got its beak stuck in a light fixture in our garage. For those of you who didn't read about it on Facebook, I was able to take the bird in my hand while its wings just dangled there lifelessly from its body. With a wiggle and a tug on the little hummingfowl, I freed the bird and watched it hover toward the heavens.

Here's where it gets crazy. I came home today, and my oldest son, Conner, told me there was a hummingbird in the garage again. Believe it or not, it was the same hummingbird (best I could tell) that I freed last time. This time it wasn't stuck; it was simply hovering around aimlessly like it couldn't find its way out of the big hole called our garage door opening!

I tried relentlessly this afternoon to find a way to free this fowl, but hummingbirds can be very hard to catch when they're not stuck. They're crafty little fliers, and I was afraid to be too rough with its delicate little body. After taking a break until this evening, I was able to return to the garage and make another attempt. Patience and careful stalking paid off again! I managed to pin that little hummingbird to the ceiling and clutch it in my hand. With the bird shrieking, I descended the ladder to walk out in the dark night and set the bird aloft. I couldn't see her take off, but I could hear the good vibrations of her wings as she flew the coop. It feels good to be a hummingbird hero!

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