Creek's patience yields trust of hummingbirds

Ruth Creek welcomes one of her tiny friends. [Click to enlarge]

She hung several feeders at both the front and back of her house, and recently noticed the tiny creatures flocking to the feeders just before dark.

"Maybe they've always done that and I just noticed," she said. "It makes me wonder of they are tanking up on food to last them through the night. Sometimes there are about four, and sometimes as many as maybe 12. At times they look like MANY. Our neighbors across the field have feeders, so they probably troop back and forth between us -- for sure back and forth over the top of the house."

Creek recently decided to try establishing a special relationship with the little birds she loves so much by feeding them out of her hand. She knew it would take tremendous patience to earn their trust, but her efforts have paid off tremendously.

"When I try my hand at this most evenings lately, I take all the feeders down that hang by the back door except the one I hold. They seem shy at first, but they get VERY brave before it's over. They hover near my face going backwards and forwards, coming closer and closer until they are brave enough to drink. It seems if one tries, that gives others courage to try also. Of course they are so competitive and interested in claiming territory that they seem to forget me at times.

"It is so sweet when one perches on my finger and I can feel those tiny little feet. I just can't describe how those spiky bitsy things feel to me. It's just so sweet. Of course they keep that sharp eye on me constantly, so I have to be very still."

Creek said she and her husband, Larry, noticed the first birds around the last of of March last year."When I first THOUGHT one swept by me, I just knew it was way too early for them, but not the case. Before long I got a good look, so I hung out food."

Creek related a sad story about one little bird she attempted to save last year.

"Last summer Larry found one lying on the ground out in the yard and told me about it. It seemed almost lifeless. I messed with the little thing all day trying to get it to eat. I would dip my finger in food and let a drop form, then put it near its beak. After a while it seemed to gain strength and would try to fly, but never could get its little body off the picnic table. This went on all day. Of course that night I had to abandon the little guy, and the next morning he had gone on to his great reward.

"It was so neat when I had him/her in my hand. I could feel no weight at all. It seemed to not mind my efforts after a while. Such a special thing, but sad, too, that I could not help it. I don't know if I saw what I thought I saw or not, but at first it looked like a tiny drop of blood just under its bill on the chest. That made me wonder if another bird had struck it in the throat and pierced its neck...but that is just a guess."

Amazingly, Creek is able to hold the feeder in one hand and her camera in the other to capture magnificence photos of her little friends. Her efforts will no doubt inspire many others to try the same thing.