Guest in my Cottage

I had a little guest today.

Can you see her there?

(disclaimer: the photo above is a photoshopped re-ennactment of this event. It was too dim 

in the room to get a good photo. I did not have the lights on because I didn't want her to burn herself. 

So I photoshopped what it looked like and badly I might add...I was in a hurry. Just wanted to set the record 

straight because some of you have questioned the authenticity of this story and photo. 

I don't want to name names but......her initials are BS...hmmmmmm which stands for....

Ol' Eagle Eye, Betsy Speert)

A hummingbird decided to make my little vintage chandelier in the breakfast nook her resting spot 

for several hours this afternoon and evening.

I was working on getting the hutch (new potting bench) in from the car.

I took all the drawers out and found that I could get it out of the back of my car

and could then move it about 6 inches at a time. Only if I carried the whole thing in front of me.

Well, needless to say, this was a process.

I got it as far as the gate and had to take a break.

I came in to read all the comments from my last post.

Many of you scolding me for going out to get it by myself at night.

But many of you also said you would have done the same thing.

So I'm inside awhile and have left the door open because the dogs are running in and out.

I go back to the back door and I hear a buzzing over head.

I think..."that is one big, loud bee"!

Above I see a little hummingbird who I've startled.

She keeps flying towards my blue ceiling in the room.

I can feel the breeze created by her wings and she is chirping teeny tiny chirps.

I talked to her sweetly...but she was scared of the dogs and I.

Of course the dogs were all around.

Only Franklin noticed her and was inquisitively watching.

I felt terrible because I have not yet set out my feeders.

Actually, I still had one that had been out all winter.

I went to get it to clean it and found it beyond cleanable. 

I was frightened this bird would get too hungry in my house and not make it.

So I left the backdoor open in case she flew out and raced to the store to buy 

two feeders. 

I set up one outside where she could see it 

and I hung one on the chandelier.

Still she would not go outside.

I did catch her eating a few times on the inside one.

A quick inquiry on Google told me what to do.

I should turn out all the lights in the house and then the outside lights would beckon to her.

By now it was 9 pm.

She'd been inside since about 6 at least.

After I turned all the lights out...she was gone in just a few minutes.

Out the door she flew.

source

I borrowed these photos from another site. 

I wanted to get my camera and try to get her but it was too dark to get photos of her.

source

I have to say it was so cool to get to watch her so up close for hours. 

I was only about a foot or two from her.

I even tried at one point to hold a red plastic lid up with sugar water in it.

I'd seen this done on YouTube. But you have to take weeks to get the birds used to you holding it.

When this didn't work...that is when I decided I better go get new feeders.

I've been so lax about getting the feeders going this year.

Who would have thought they would come tell me when to do it?

This is the third time I've had hummingbirds in my house. 

You can read about the other two experiences here and here.