Keeping Pace

Keeping Pace

Nesting 2022

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For the 2nd year in a row, my backyard is hosting a nesting hummingbird. This is most delightful and cause for celebration. By celebration, I mean the paparazzi in me is giddy with excitement.

As you may know, my fondness for hummingbirds goes way back — longer than I have been writing about them…or having them tattooed on my body.

While last year, I was surprised to discover that momma hummingbird had built her next around the sagging lights on my back porch which I discovered just as I was setting up for having the house painted.

The little nest of 2021 was tiny. So tiny, in fact, that if it held a shot of espresso, I would be SEVERELY disappointed.

The nest of 2022 is wider with more shallow sides and sits rather low in the tree. Already, I am worrying that something will disturb the nest, causing the eggs to fall and break. I tell my gardener to avoid the area and consider erecting the doggie pen around the tree to keep Kobe from his favorite pee spot.

The reality is that I am probably the biggest hazard. Momma hummingbird is on to me though. She caught me hiding in the nearby bushes with my 200 mm zoom lens. I snapped a few photos before packing it up and will leave her alone to tend to her nest.

Check back in a few weeks.  

Life (and death) Happens

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You may remember that I had a hummingbird nesting on my backyard deck. I was thrilled to see two tiny hummingbirds emerge within the nest. Momma sat warming her babies diligently for many days, leaving for short periods of time to collect nourishment for her and her babies.

Then one day, I noticed the babies were growing strong enough to lift their beaks into view. I watched as momma came with food for them. The stronger bird always seemed to get the sustenance while the other one waited patiently. I prayed that I just wasn’t around to see when momma fed her other little birdie. I am sure that she did indeed feed both of them.

But as the days passed, I only saw one head emerging. On March 21st, the anniversary of my husband’s passing, I peaked in with my selfie stick and confirmed that only one of the babies was visible in the nest. I assumed that the other had not survived; it was no where to be seen. On top of that, it seemed that momma was distancing herself from the nest. Overwhelmed with sadness, I worried that the other would not survive. But I didn’t want to touch the nest for fear that she would completely abandon her remaining baby. I cried and prayed a lot that day.

I shouldn’t have been surprised to find that I couldn’t help but experience my own grief as I eyed the nest from a distance. I’ve never lost a child but my experience of losing my husband tells me that losing a child has got to be FAR more profound emotionally than what I went through years ago. But there is no forgetting the intense feeling of not wanting to get out from under my covers in those initial days, weeks, and even months. I did so because I had to. My sons needed me to help them and to show them that we could be okay. So I did what I could to create a new norm as we navigated the grief together.  It wasn’t easy.

As I reflected on those earlier days of grieving, I prayed that momma hummingbird could find that same strength that I did. And I prayed even more when the sun seemed to retreat and the nights got cold over the days that followed.

Please, baby hummingbird, hang on. Your momma is coming back. I know she is. 

Thankfully, the remaining baby held on and waited for momma’s return. Momma didn’t spend a lot of time at the nest but she was coming regularly and, it seemed, that her baby was getting what she needed to grow and generate enough heat to keep warm at night.

Little by little, momma and baby seemed to be finding their strength and building up the momentum to move on with life — as we all must do. Baby was quickly filling out and spilling out over the top of the tiny nest.

Then, one day I noticed that momma was coming by rather frequently with nourishment — and also just to check in (it seemed). I began wondering… [Read more…]

Nesting

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Things are looking up in the neighborhood. I suppose it is one of the things that is good about having to spend so much time in our homes; we’ve begun nesting so-to-speak (in my case, no baby is one the way). This rise in fixing up our homes only makes sense. If you’re going to spend 90% of your time in one location, you want it to be nice. Am I right?

I’ve been spreading out the costs by doing a little here and there. Painting the exterior, including the awning that covers my newly replaced deck, is next on my list. I reached out to a painter that is part of my yoga community. Rumor has it that he does excellent work.  My painter friend came out to look at my home and give me an estimate (still pending).

The day he came, we noticed a tiny little hummingbird nest has been built on and around the wire of the white lights which hang across the decked area. On that day, the nest was empty still. Momma hummingbird seemed to be in the process of adding the finishing touches to make it just so for her little babies. As any mom might do, she selected the softest most luxurious materials.

In looking at her handiwork, I couldn’t help but smile as I spotting a plentiful amount of fur from my Kobe. Nonetheless, I still think that my black yoga pants have more of this special hair adhering to it on any given day than momma’s nest. Nonetheless, I am happy that my puppy’s constant shedding has a benefit to someone.

Of course, you probably know that hummingbirds have a most special place in my heart. For me, they are symbolic of my, now deceased, stepfather who was known for his constant humming. The tattoo on my right shoulder is in memory of him and I always think of him and smile when I see a hummingbird.

I think it is safe to say that the painting of my home will have to wait until momma hummingbird and her babies have completed the nesting phase of their life and flown away.

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