[NatureNS] at hummingbird tale to tell

Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:51:06 -0300
From: Lois Codling <loiscodling@hfx.eastlink.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
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Really neat tale well-told, Marg.  Thanks.  Hope he lives to fly another 
day!
Lois Codling

Margaret E.Millard wrote:
> Hello, I am most interested in this. I can't access the page, get 
> error 401 or something like that,,,,,,then page not listed.
>
> I had an interesting encounter when I went out a short while ago to 
> fill my hummingbird feeders. There on the ground beside my car  (with 
> wonderful sky reflected in the windows) upside down was a little male 
> hummingbird. I took a look and it was blinking and vibrating and an 
> occasional wiggle. I knew on its back it is unable to move easily, so 
> I gently picked it up and nestled it in my hand and started trying to 
> figure who might be able to get it to Hellene. New glasses and I can't 
> see to drive, walk or read yet!
> After about 5 minutes I could feel the vibrating slowing and it slowly 
> and ever so faintly  worked its feet under it and stretched out one 
> wing. They are all attached to each other, the feathers.  How cool. 
> kind of like webbed feet. I didn't know that. One wing didn't seem to 
> respond. How delicate they creature is. Awesome!!
> I held it a bit longer and uncupped my hand and it nestled back as if 
> to get warm. Steve got the camera and took a couple photos but really 
> they aren't that great for detail. It is quite  chilly here tonight 
> and I suppose it got cold on the ground.
> After a couple more minutes it peeped and tried to 'sit up' so I 
> opened my hand flat and it shifted around. It faced me straight on and 
> stretched out first one wing and worked that, then the other and that 
> worked this time. It lifted slightly then settled back into the cup 
> for a minute then up it went about 6" off my hand and flew quite tight 
> little loops and then settled in my hand again.
> It began to peep again and then lifted off to rest on a grapevine 
> about three feet away. It sat there a bit and then peeped some more. I 
> was wondering if it was still a bit stunned so I carefully stretched 
> up my finger and touched it. I fully expected it to fly away but it 
> hopped/flew onto my finger and held on.  Maybe it thought I was a 
> tree.....In any event it eventually flew back to the grapevine, then 
> to the feeder and I think it was the same bird that settled on the 
> other feeder I refreshed as I hung it up.
> Makes a body feel good to be alive.
> Marg Millard, White Point, Queens
> http://margmillard.ca
> ----- Original Message ----- From: <uhoeger@dal.ca>
> To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
> Sent: Monday, June 15, 2009 8:43 PM
> Subject: [NatureNS] Hummingbird facts
>
>
>> Last week a scientific paper dealing with the top speed of a hummingbird
>> species (Anna's) was published.  Now you can find the short story 
>> along with
>> a high-speed video clip on the NG website:
>> http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/06/090612-fastest-flying-
>> bird.html
>>
>> In case someone is interested in the whole original paper and can  not
>> access it I am able to help out.
>>
>> Ulli
>>
>
>
>

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