They're Back! Humming Around

I am so happy to see our hummingbirds back again this year.

The first one arrived, buzzed around where the feeders were last year, and left, a little indignantly I thought. So I hustled to get the feeders cleaned up and filled. Now there are three hummingbirds here, and they keep us highly entertained.

There are plenty of other birds around: nuthatches, chickadees, titmice, cardinals, robins, blue jays, goldfinches, pine siskins, mourning doves, bluebirds, sparrows or various kinds, Carolina wrens, crows, brown thrashers, wood thrushes, towhees, yellow-shafted flicker, downy woodpeckers, red-bellied woodpeckers and pileated woodpeckers--and the night-calling whipoorwill and two big barn owls back in the woods. There are wild turkeys galore, too, wily enough to escape the hunters who are also in the woods at this time of year.

Besides the hummingbirds, though, we've seen no other migratory birds at our feeders yet. The cold temperatures may be keeping them away, as it is still dipping into the 30's (F) at night. Still, I'm happy to watch the crowds we do have, even if it means ducking from time to time to keep out of the hummingbirds' way.

Spring is bringing its multi-hued green cloak to the place at last. I cannot get enough of looking at it, seeing each day the slight variations as one tree after another unfolds its leaves. The apples are finally blooming, weeks later than usual, and the redbuds were not as full as they usually are, but still it is all beauty unbounded. Such a gift, Spring is.

She's also quite the taskmaster, bringing plenty of work for idle hands. For this moment, though, we're in good shape as far as outside work.

And evenings always bring the pleasure of skywatching and listening to the whippoorwills before we go inside for the night.

Last night I brought a little of the garden in with me; small bouquets just make my heart happy.

And speaking of skywatching, a story about hummingbirds:

How The Stars Came to Be

(A legend from the Chumash people of the California coastal region)

In the days before humans came to earth,the sky was always filled with light, and the animals and birds lived happily together. So why did they start to fight and argue? No one really knows, but the one known as The Great Spirit saw this and tried to make peace again among his creatures. The animals, however, were so noisy they paid no attention, and just kept fighting.

So, the Great Spirit threw a blanket across the sky. Now it was dark all the time. Can you imagine how the animals felt? They stopped fighting, that's for sure--whatever it was that has caused the disagreement seemed a small thing in this great darkness. 

The animals called a council.

"We must find a way to end this darkness, to pull down the blanket that covers the sky," they said. But who could do such a mighty thing?"I will do it," said Bear. "I am the strongest, and my paws can rip that blanket to shreds."  He climbed to the top of the highest mountain and tried and tried, but the blanket was too far away, and at last he gave up, leaving only a streak across the sky where his claws has slashed the blanket.

"Who can go next?" the animals asked. "Who is bigger and stronger than Bear?" 

"I can do it," said a little voice.

"You, Hummingbird? You are so tiny, that's funny!" And they all laughed at the little hummingbird.

One after another the animals tried to pull down the blanket, and one after another failed. When Vulture tried, he came screaming back to earth, his head on fire--for he had poked a hole through the blanket, yes, but the sun had scorched every feather and set his head on fire.

"I will go! Let me!" shouted Hummingbird, over and over. And over and over the animals ignored the tiny bird--well, even though he shouted, his voice was still tiny! So, Hummingbird snuck away all on his own, and flew fast and high until he reached the blanket. With his long thin beak he poked hole after hole in the blanket, darting away quickly each time so he would not be burned like Vulture. When he was finished, Hummingbird fell back to earth, exhausted.

When the animals looked up and saw what Hummingbird had done, they were amazed--and realized that while all they had done was argue about what to do, Hummingbird just went and did it.

The Great Spirit saw what the little bird had done, too. He smiled.

"So, because this little one has done what all of you could not, I will let light return to the world. But every night, I will throw the blanket over the sky again as a reminder to you not to fight. I will use this blanket, so that you will have some light, even through the darkness.

And so began night and day. Bear’s slash is the Milky Way, the hole made by Vulture is the moon, Hummingbird's holes became the stars.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.