When I get home from work at the end of the day, Toby greets me at the door, bouncing and happy. We usually head right out the back door to toss and chase a few balls, etc. Sometimes I stop to change out of my uniform first, as I did last night. And it's a good thing I did for there in the bedroom was an unexpected guest: a female hummingbird flying madly about the ceiling!
Who knows how long the poor thing had been trapped in the house! I had left the back door open so the dog and cat could go out and enjoy the sunshine if they do desired, and she must've zipped in.
The first thing I did was shut the bedroom door - it wouldn't do to have to chase her through the whole house! Then I opened a window. I tried guiding her towards it, but she was having no part of it. Around and around she flew. She'd rest for a couple seconds on the ceiling fan (which, thankfully, was off), then she'd take flight again.
At a loss for a solution, I called our rehabber, who came up with the answer! I quickly mixed up some sugar and water and put it in one of my hummingbird feeders (which I never put out this year). I set the feeder on the window and it only took a few seconds for the bird to see the bright red and land for a drink, which I have no doubt she desparately needed! Once there in the open window, and refueled, she lifted off and disappeared into the yard.
I guess I'll have to think twice now about leaving that door open when I'm not home!
Good job! I know the hummer appreciated the drink before leaving through the window.
ReplyDeleteOnce a hummer got stuck under our open-on-three-sides carport. The poor thing just couldn't figure out that all it needed to do was drop down about a foot and then fly up. I got out the butterfly net and held it up near the ceiling. When the very tired hummer perched on it to rest, I carefully lowered it and maneuvered it into position so the bird could fly out into the open.