The Danger of Tissue Paper Flowers

They Seem Innocent Enough

I've had these tissue paper flowers hanging from the chandelier in my dining room for months.

I posted here about a hummingbird flying in through my back patio doors circling

the flowers and coming on into the living room over my head and around and back through the 

rooms and out back through the doors.

I was sure it was attracted to the large flowers it saw inside.

(You can read my tissue paper flowers tutorial here.)

So yesterday, I left the back door open for the dogs to go in and out because it was only like 100 degrees 

out instead of 110 as it had been.

After a bit I went to shut the door because all the weenies were in the house with me.

As I went into the breakfast nook I heard buzzing over my head. 

I thought it to be a locust that had flown in. 

I looked above and to my surprise it was a hummingbird!

Well, all the weenies followed me in there and hummingbirds are frightened of weenies.

I had moved my feeder away from the back deck after the first one flew into the house.

1. because I didn't want one flying in again and 2. because hummers are afraid of weenies so

I thought it better they didn't have to be so near them.

This poor little bird kept flying up to the ceiling because my ceiling is painted blue and 

I think she thought it the sky.

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I didn't know what to do!

I went outside encouraging the dogs to go out with me...hoping she'd find her way out.

No...she rested on my little tole flower chandelier. She just sat there.

So that wasn't working. 

So I went back in and waved my harms hoping to direct her out.

She again flew up at the ceiling and then flew over to the corner hutch up and behind a large

pink cake platter that I have displayed on top.

I waited a few minutes for her to fly out. Nothing.

So I had to get a chair to stand on. Ladders were in the garage.

I removed the bowls and platter that was up there. And nothing.

I had to stand on my tippy toes to look up over the edge of the cabinet.

There she sat on an old paint rag that I'd inadvertently left up there when I painted.

It's really hard to see on top....so I didn't know I'd left it. 

She was just sitting on the rag. I quickly realized that her wings were covered in cob webs.

hmmmm...appears I have a spider living up there.

I lifted the rag with her on it gingerly.

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At this point the weenies had lost interest. I think they thought I was working on a project and they'd gone outside.

She sat there so calmly while I lightly and carefully removed the cobwebs from her wings.

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I would have loved to have taken my own photos of her but I didn't want to stress her.

As soon as the last bit of cobwebs were gone she fluttered and bzzzzzzzzzzz

flew away!

It was the most amazing experience. 

But what if I hadn't seen her fly in? What if I hadn't found her?

She would have quickly died in my house.

I've never had this problem before hanging the tissue paper flowers so I promptly went in the dining room and cut them down. 

Yes, I loved having it look like a party was going to happen at any minute but not at the risk 

of little bird's lives. 

I'm soon changing the chandelier in this room anyway.

I just thought I'd warn you of the danger of tissue paper flowers.

They attract hummingbirds!

I will never forget how soft her little wings were and how calmly she sat while I cleaned them off. 

You would think she would have been fluttering about but no. She just waited for me to remove. 

I was afraid she was hurt, she sat so still. I was so thankful when she just flew away.

Have you ever held a hummingbird? 

I've seen quite a few videos on YouTube of people hand feeding them. 

They are such lovely little creatures.