Hummingbird in the Snow

Are you ready for a really good story?  Well, we think it's a good story anyway.  First, let me give you a little background.  

I guess it's no secret that Ken loves birds.  We have a nice hummingbird feeder attached to our kitchen window. Ken faithfully keeps it filled with the perfect mixture of sugar water.   Not too many years ago that would have been wasted effort in the winter, but a few years ago one species of hummingbirds- Anna's- started wintering here.  We've had a pair of Anna's feed from our feeder year-round.  They have become our friends.  

Saturday, it snowed all day long.  It was very cold.  As a general rule, hummingbirds simply aren't made to last in very cold weather.  Ken was in and about the house all day and kept an eye on the male Anna's.  He watched him feed from our feeder, then go and sit in the tree just outside the window many times throughout the day.  At about dusk, he watched him drink and drink and then fly off.  But something was wrong.  As he tried to land in a tree, he couldn't and plummeted to the snow below.  Ken watched it happen and quickly got on his boots and coat and ran outside.  Sure enough, he found the little bird lying in the snow.  He had fallen and would have died.  Ken brought him in the house and we quickly found a box.  Ken mixed up some more sugar water and got an old feeder he had in the basement and put it in the box so the bird could drink. He got away several times through all this and flew around the house, but he was sluggish, so Ken was able to catch him and put him in the box and close it up for the night.  We worried all night long if he was alright in there.  We awoke to very cold temperatures (for us) and waited until about 10:00 to try to release the hummingbird.  Several years ago, Ken and Kristen's husband, Jared got to assist ornithologists in Arizona tag hummingbirds.  Before they released the birds, they would stick their beaks into the juice, kind of forcing them to drink. That way they would get nourishment right before being released.  That was Ken's plan this morning.  So he carefully opened the box this morning and captured the bird and tried to force him to drink, but he wouldn't.  He got away and flew around the house.  For the next half an hour, Ken chased the little bird around our living room and kitchen.  It was so funny to hear Ken talking to him, trying to convince him that he was just trying to help.  We had a good laugh when I reminded Ken that the little guy obviously didn't speak English.  The bird would land on something- always high up- and Ken would climb to catch him and he'd take off.  It happened over and over.  Finally the little guy got so tired that Ken was able to catch him and release him out the window where the bird feeder is.  Again, he stayed around all day- drinking from the feeder and resting in the tree.  His "wife" also stopped by a few times, so she also had survived the night.  Well, this evening, again at about dusk, he came and drank a lot and then just stayed there on the feeder.  We were both in the kitchen at the time and we watched and watched.  He puffed all up and it soon became evident that he was planning on roosting right there on the feeder.  That has NEVER happened.  He soon was fast asleep and laying down with his head on the feeder and his feet fastened to the stand.  All evening we kept checking and there he was, fast asleep.

We watched the late news and found it was going to get down to 10 degrees.  We just couldn't stand the thought of the little guy freezing to death.  So Ken went in and gently opened the window and brought him in.  So, as I write, the bird is in the room across the hall sleeping in his box.  Ken will release him through the window again in the morning.  So, I guess the story isn't the "The End" sort.  It's a continuing saga.  I'll have to keep you updated.  Here are some pictures of the adventure:

Our window hummingbird feeder.

This is the bird in the box when we opened it this morning.  He was sound asleep in the corner.

Ken gently captured him.  Don't try this at home.

Here Ken is trying to get him to drink as he was taught by the ornithologists.

He's waking up.

And off he goes.  He had a grand time flying all over in our house.  Because he got on Ken's finger last night, here he is trying to get the bird to land on his finger. 

He flew . . . 

And flew . . . 

And occasionally landed to rest- but always up high.  

Just as Ken would climb and try to capture it, off he'd go.  Finally Ken got him and sent him out the window.

These pictures were taken shortly after he was released and came back to feed.

Isn't he beautiful?

This picture is disappointingly blurry.  But this was taken when he came to roost.  

I guess we'll have to let you know what happens.  Is it alright to pray for a bird?