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Sad hummingbird story
Yesterday I pulled into the driveway after work and as I looked through the garage and to the window at the other end, I saw the silhouette of a small bird. I've spotted some hummers a couple times at the new place (even though we don't have a feeder out) so I jumped off the bike and ran around the house to see if it was still in the backyard. It was still there, only there was INSIDE the window! I ran back into the garage to find the poor guy banging up against the window and the shade. To visualize this, you need to realize I'm in my full riding gear (jacket, gloves, overpants, helmet)... I climbed up onto my workbench to get at the top of the window where it was. He had enough energy to evade me there and fly up into the rafters of the garage. The chase began.
I took my helmet off at this point, as I had proceded to bang it on my lamp already. Ouch.
He settled in a rafter, finally, poor guy banged around quite a bit. So I had time to take the restrictive gear off, pull the ladder down and head up after him. I just about had my hand around him when he took flight again, but he didn't make it far, and ended up clinging to my pant leg.
So there I am in the corner of the garage, on top of a 6' ladder with one hand clasped around my leg. T has already grabbed the camera at this point and is documenting.
I managed to get the bird to let go of my leg and had it completely in my hand before I climbed down. I was really afraid of hurting it - it was so small!
T had meanwhile dug out our old feeder and made up some food. He had to be exhausted and hungry, so I tried to get him to eat a little bit.
Such a tiny, scared, but beautiful bird - male, it has the bright ruby-throat (sorry for the blur, T is a bit scared of fast moving small critters):
He wasn't eating, so we got a smaller box and made a little nest that I gently put him in.
At this point, fast-thinking T was already in the house calling vets - no luck though, it was 7pm already. So we put the box on the deck so it could be free outside, but we could watch it. We also put one of our best and brightest hanging flowers next to it. T was convinced this wasn't enough, so she googled up a storm and found some great info. Apparently, since he was all balled up, he was tired and scared, but more importantly, cold! So I ran to get my flood lamp and soon we had his nest up to a toasty 75 degrees (yes, I even instrumented it with a thermometer). I also got a dropper and tried feeding it as the wildlife page said - putting his beak right in the filled dropper. But we didn't see him eat.
10 or so minutes later, as promised, he was warming up and looking less like a cottonball, he was starting to look really good!
Just after this photo, I tried to feed him again, still no luck. But then Tara saw him start blinking his eyes and he opened his beak a few times. I kept the dropper filled with food close, but he still wouldn't take it. Ok, keep resting little guy...
Next we got very excited as his eyes started blinking again and he seemed alert and warm! Then T jumped back because he flipped open his wings and flapped them a few times. Great, he's stretching! He then twisted his head all around, so much we thought his poor little head was going to pop off, but he was stretching his wings too, so we thought he was trying to warm up even more. Birds do that, right? I didn't want to scare him more by feeding him, so we just watched another minute.
At this point he once again flapped, pretty quickly, but then he just stopped, his wings spread a bit, eyes opened, and tail flared. His beak drooped down and touched the nest for the first time...
And that was it.
He didn't move again. I turned the lamp off and took that final shot in the setting sunlight. We had just watched the sweet little thing die, and we had no idea why. I looked him over afterwards and he looked fine, legs, beak, wings, everything was in great shape. We thought we had done such a good job warming him up. I guess the ordeal was just too much for his tiny little heart. T cried a whole bunch as we brought it out and gave it a final home at the edge of our property among some small trees and wildflowers.
It was a sad friday night after that.
:cry
I took my helmet off at this point, as I had proceded to bang it on my lamp already. Ouch.
He settled in a rafter, finally, poor guy banged around quite a bit. So I had time to take the restrictive gear off, pull the ladder down and head up after him. I just about had my hand around him when he took flight again, but he didn't make it far, and ended up clinging to my pant leg.
So there I am in the corner of the garage, on top of a 6' ladder with one hand clasped around my leg. T has already grabbed the camera at this point and is documenting.
I managed to get the bird to let go of my leg and had it completely in my hand before I climbed down. I was really afraid of hurting it - it was so small!
T had meanwhile dug out our old feeder and made up some food. He had to be exhausted and hungry, so I tried to get him to eat a little bit.
Such a tiny, scared, but beautiful bird - male, it has the bright ruby-throat (sorry for the blur, T is a bit scared of fast moving small critters):
He wasn't eating, so we got a smaller box and made a little nest that I gently put him in.
At this point, fast-thinking T was already in the house calling vets - no luck though, it was 7pm already. So we put the box on the deck so it could be free outside, but we could watch it. We also put one of our best and brightest hanging flowers next to it. T was convinced this wasn't enough, so she googled up a storm and found some great info. Apparently, since he was all balled up, he was tired and scared, but more importantly, cold! So I ran to get my flood lamp and soon we had his nest up to a toasty 75 degrees (yes, I even instrumented it with a thermometer). I also got a dropper and tried feeding it as the wildlife page said - putting his beak right in the filled dropper. But we didn't see him eat.
10 or so minutes later, as promised, he was warming up and looking less like a cottonball, he was starting to look really good!
Just after this photo, I tried to feed him again, still no luck. But then Tara saw him start blinking his eyes and he opened his beak a few times. I kept the dropper filled with food close, but he still wouldn't take it. Ok, keep resting little guy...
Next we got very excited as his eyes started blinking again and he seemed alert and warm! Then T jumped back because he flipped open his wings and flapped them a few times. Great, he's stretching! He then twisted his head all around, so much we thought his poor little head was going to pop off, but he was stretching his wings too, so we thought he was trying to warm up even more. Birds do that, right? I didn't want to scare him more by feeding him, so we just watched another minute.
At this point he once again flapped, pretty quickly, but then he just stopped, his wings spread a bit, eyes opened, and tail flared. His beak drooped down and touched the nest for the first time...
And that was it.
He didn't move again. I turned the lamp off and took that final shot in the setting sunlight. We had just watched the sweet little thing die, and we had no idea why. I looked him over afterwards and he looked fine, legs, beak, wings, everything was in great shape. We thought we had done such a good job warming him up. I guess the ordeal was just too much for his tiny little heart. T cried a whole bunch as we brought it out and gave it a final home at the edge of our property among some small trees and wildflowers.
It was a sad friday night after that.
:cry
Erik
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take in enough nourishment to get going again.
In my mind if we had done nothing he was a goner....for sure.
bummer indeed. *sigh*
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It's sad yes but it is what it is. The 2 of you provide him with care and comfort and your best efforts no one can ask for more.
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thanks for the comments - T especially appreciates them. She has way more feelings and emotions than I'll ever have.
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Thanks for sharing.
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