First Hummingbird of 2015….Updated

Writer; Donna Crumly Harvey

Ok, my dear birding friend, it is time to get out that hummingbird feeder and clean it up.  I had been saying to my sweetie for a few weeks that we need to get the feeder cleaned and hung because they would be at least beginning their migration.  Yesterday was the day that he said, you fix the food and I’ll hang the feeder.  I tried to get him to find the feeder but that was a no go, so yours truly thought I remembered where I had put the feeder when I took it down last year.  We have had a number of feeders.  When I first moved to this house I bought a little one and used it for a couple of years and then I picked up one at the local Depot store and used it and bought even two more like it.  My complaint with it was the little yellow middles of the flowers would fall out and lawnmower would chew it up and then the bees and yellow jackets would love being fed.  The other thing that I found to be happening was after the babies had flown and were trying to fatten up for the long flight south in the fall, we would have so very many hummers that it seems I was having to make more food quickly and poor sweeties was having to fill the feeder almost every day.  I love seeing the hummers buzz his head and he would just look in the window and laugh at me as I was laughing at him.  So, you see why I opted for a larger feeder and that saves lots of daily work.  We seem to be getting older every year, which is inevitable.  At least I have determined that the alternative is quite final.

Oh well, at least the argument about it being too early to put out the hummingbird feeder was over for this year.  Then today when I was talking to sweetheart, he said, “Guess what I saw today.”  I didn’t have a clue what direction he was headed as he does move about quite a lot every morning and I just don’t try to keep up with him while I work.  I told him I had no idea and he said he had seen the first male hummer at the feeder.   Of course, I just could not resist committing that we were probably late in putting out the feeder for those who came even earlier.  That is when I just had to go to the map and check how far they had been getting.  I like to watch a website https://www.learner.org/jnorth/maps/humm_ruby_spring2015.html  which shows who in your particular area has seen hummers.   I win the argument but I will not say that to him as peace is a nice thing but I know the answer now.  We were late in putting out the feeder and I will just have to remember in the future that mid-March is when I need to get things ready for the pretty little fliers.  Hope this feeble brain will keep track of that along with the million and one other things that I put in there to remember.

Just one of the two dozen or so that came to The Windy Knoll last year.

So now I have given you all a reminder that it is time for the hummingbird feeders.  I made a mix of 4 parts water to one part sugar.  I can never remember that so I always have to look it up on the internet.  I can just hear mother (Billie Crumly) saying “Now just how does the internet know these things?”  Been almost a year since I have heard her make such comments.  April 29^th is the day she had hip replacement surgery and the downhill spiral began.  Sure wish I had pushed harder for the scoot around and kept her around longer but she was a strong willed woman who had made her decision.  Hip replacements were supposed to be easy and I do not fault the doctor who did the replacement at all but I do fault the rehab center which treated her more like a nursing home patient than a rehab patient.  They should have been pushing her and I guess we should have been pushing her too.  With my today’s knowledge I would have had her in a different rehab center even if it was farther away.  She was trying to take care of the one she loved best, right to the end.  Sorry to have gone off chasing rabbits, but she too loved the beautiful birds and hummingbirds and this is part of somewhat country living from my perspective.  Have  blessed day!