It's Hummer Time

                                                           Photo by Frank Ortmann

"It's 'hummer'time and 'for them', the living is easy."  A slight variation to the song "Summertime."  I had an interesting encounter this afternoon with one of our resident Anna's Hummingbirds.  There are several that make our feeding station their own private Smorgasbord, especially during the winter months.

Cooking up a new batch of nectar (1 part sugar to 4 parts water) and letting it come to a rolling boil, I waited for it to cool enough to fill the feeders.  I went to the smaller red feeder and reached for it. BZZZZ!  I had a mini-mig fighter jet right at my hand.  She glared at me as though I were doing the unthinkable and then I did.  I took the feeder inside to clean it with a bottle brush and refill.  A whole lot of nervous hovering was going on by the other feeder.  When I reappeared with fresh food, the little fighter was there again.  Next, I took the larger feeder and more of the same.  Anna's hummers are known for their pugnacious attitudes, so I asked her politely to cool her jets.  She wouldn't consider it.  I was hoping the newly filled feeder would sidetrack her.  It did, but I somehow had the feeling I was being very carefully watched.

One time, I took the feeder down and the hummer followed me right inside the house!  They do take their food very seriously.  I have had so much entertainment and outright laughter at their antics.  They don't consider me their only enemy--they chase each other with equal vengeance.  In fact, I read somewhere that if you don't want birds to eat your berries, put a hummingbird feeder in the midst of the berry patch and the little watch-hummer will keep other birds at bay.  I've never tried that, but it sounds very entertaining.

It occurred to me how much like the hummingbird I am.  God provides everything I can ever need, He is always there to clean up my messes when I ask, and He gives lavishly.  Yet, if He removes something from my life, even just to make something better for me, I get all shook up and have the equivalent to a hummer hissy-fit.  Then He replaces it with something better and I often forget to thank Him.  Hummingbirds have no sense of decorum.  I have yet to be thanked for all I do for them.  God must feel that way sometimes, yet, He continues to do what's best for me, no matter how many hissy-fits I throw and I will continue to care for the hummers, no matter how much I hear the sound BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.