The Artist: “Those tree branches aren’t very strong, and
the spot she’s chosen is really exposed and visible. What if a crow spots the
nest and grabs the eggs like that one time time?”
Me: “Well… I reckon we just gotta trust her
natural instincts and hope for the best. At least the feeder is only about a
foot away from the nest and will be very convenient for her.”
Over the next week Mom fabricated a lovely nest, well-anchored to the slender branches, and then laid two small white eggs in the downy
bottom of the nest. The last time another Hummie Mom built a nest there, she laid only one egg, which was a sure sign it probably wouldn’t hatch. It didn't.
Mom spent the next few weeks planted in that nest, leaving only to feed or avoid us when we opened the sliding door. We learned to s-l-o-w-l-y open the door so as not to spook her, but she'd always fly away when we stepped out. Every time I walked through the side yard by the tree she'd split, so I made squeaky hummie sounds to say ‘Hello’ because I knew she was nearby.
I’m weird that way.
We watched the nest, waiting for the eggs to hatch like expectant parents. A stormy weather front moved through the area, causing the branches to dance around in the wind. Mom hunkered down and hung in there, protecting the eggs. After a few days, The Artist asked me to have another peek to see what was going on. Using a stepladder, I peered into the nest and was relieved to see two tiny bebbehs nestled in the found down. YES.
Mom sat in
the nest most of each day for a week. Then we watched her feeding the kids,
their tiny yellow beaks wide open, begging for more, with Mom zipping in and out all day. She might be gone for an hour or
longer, knowing their warm little bodies could handle her absence. She looked almost regal when she plopped on top of them for a rest. At one point, she added about
a quarter inch of height to the top of the nest to accommodate her growing family,
the room addition a totally different color of found materials.
One day a severe windstorm hit our
area.
As we watched the
50 to 60mph winds lash at the trees outside the den that evening, we worried about Mom and
the kids. It was already dark, so using a flashlight we could spot the nest. The tree branches were being whipped around in the wind and the nest looked like a
bouncing ball. If they were meant to survive the savage weather, they would. Nature
can be like that.
The next morning, the nest was still there but Mom was gone.
The Artist noticed a strange clump on another branch near the nest and asked me
to have a look. On closer inspection, the nest appeared to have been
snagged by an adjacent branch. I grabbed the stepladder to see if the kids were
okay.
The kids were gone. Were they launched into the windy oblivion by a snagged nest catapult? Did one of the local crows, who sometimes fly through the side yard, pluck them out as a tasty snack? I looked around the yard for little birdie bodies, to no avail. Mom didn’t return to the nest.
The Hummie family was no more.
We were bummed that we wouldn’t get to see the kids grow and fill the nest with their little
bodies, squeaking for Mom to bring them more food until they fledged and split
from her pad. That’s how the circle of life works for the animals that live
among us, surviving adjacent to our human world but totally dependent on nature, instinct, tenacity and luck. They either make it or they don’t… there’s no
in-between.
The Hummie
family got me thinking about human families.
In the USA, humans don't typically use found materials for building a home in which to raise their young. Birdy babies mature quickly and leave the nest after only a few short months. Humans require years of nurturing, time, money and effort before they leave the nest. It takes lots of money and dependence on every aspect of modern society for humans to safely survive and thrive.
Society provides the means and, in some cases, government assistance as needed. Food, shelter, medical care, education, employment, money… all the things that humans require. The government assistance is the result of a society having basic levels of empathy, compassion and understanding for its citizens. That's what taxes are for. Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society.
Some countries do human compassion better than others. If you want to understand what a government thinks is important, look at its budget to better understand its priorities and spending decisions.
I shake my head in wonder at how much of our country's critical social infrastructure has been and continues to be dismantled and deleted by the current Administration under the guise of eliminating waste, fraud and abuse. They slash away at the crucial support that every human needs to survive, all in the interest of saving money to rationalize gigantic tax breaks for the wealthiest one percent of us
They value money over people. Wealth is more important to them than the health and well-being of human beings. They act as if all the money is theirs, not ours, and they'll use it to enrich themselves at our expense.
Trickle-down economics, as usual. It's the Number One reason that a government should never be run like a business.
I can't predict what's gonna happen next for us humans.
What I do know is that another Hummie Mom has already started to grab parts of the nest, most likely building her own in a nearby tree. She prolly saw ours while feeding a foot away from it, so good for her. She's keeping it in the 'hood, and I love the fact that so many critters have chosen our small patch of Earth to make their homes in.
Humans need more. Much more. Of the millions of species on this planet, humans are the only ones that require the direct intervention and support of society to survive. I wonder if and when we'll ever finally realize it and treat each other with the dignity and respect every human being deserves?
Magic 8-Ball says:
Magic 8-Ball image, gracias de Google Images; all other images by the Author and The Artist; Vince Guaraldi Trio 'Cast Your Fate to the Wind' video, muchisimas gracias de You Tube.
