Upon getting out of bed one morning, not long after I arrived at my current housesit, I happened to gaze out the window and notice a lone hummingbird feeding on one of the flowers. It made me happy to see it, and so I decided to search for a hummingbird feeder so that I could maybe attract a few more of these precious little creatures.
My first stop was in town to visit a shop that I thought might sell this item. I was unsuccessful. Oh well, at least I tried. Later the same day I was out in the garage, and lo and behold, there on a shelf, was just what I was looking for. In no time, I had prepared some "food" (sugar water) and had suspended the feeder on the end of a length of bamboo, just outside my back window.
Soon after, my solitary hummingbird friend was joined by three more, and they all appeared to be enjoying their new found "wealth". It only took a few days before the feeder needed to be refilled, and so that's what I did.
Then along came a new hummingbird, one I hadn't seen before. It was rust coloured so it was very easy to distinguish it from the others. Because of its vibrant colouring, I will make the assumption that it was a male member of the species. From the moment he arrived on the scene, he became the king of the castle, so to speak. Every time any of the others tried to get to the feeder for a drink, this new hummingbird, (let's call him Rusty), would flare out his tail feathers and chase away his competition. The funny thing about it was, he didn't seem particularly interested in drinking from the feeder, himself. But he liked to make sure that no other birds got an opportunity to drink either.
I watched this little game play out, day after day. Occasionally, one of the others would sneak in to get a drink, but it wouldn't be long before Rusty would swoop in from some distant perch and scare the other bird(s) away. Then he would stay close to the feeder for a while to make sure that no one else could get a drink. I would be lying if I didn't admit that I was a bit annoyed with Rusty as a result of his behavior.
It's like things had come full circle. I had started out with one lone hummingbird, then there were four, and now I was effectively back to one, because Rusty had taken over the feeder. I felt bad for the others, but there was nothing I could do.
And then yesterday arrived.
The first part of my morning routine involves opening up the patio doors, and going outside to take in a few deep breaths of air, and for a few moments, just enjoy the wonderful nature that I am surrounded by. But yesterday morning, something was wrong. My little pal Rusty was lying upside down in the grass, close to the bird feeder. He was still alive, but he didn't look well. As the day progressed, his condition deteriorated, and by about 3pm he was dead. This made me very sad.
There was nothing else to do now, but to make a little grave and bury him.
I buried him in the planter which sits directly below where the hummingbird feeder (which he spent the last few days of his life defending) is located. It seemed like the most appropriate location.
If there is a happy ending, (and doesn't our culture always want to supply us with a happy ending), now that Rusty is dead, the hummingbird feeder again has numerous birds taking their share of the liquid food. The other hummingbirds glance over at the sad looking human, and seem to "say" to me,
don't fret too long about Rusty, just enjoy the fact that the rest of us are all still here.
As I write these words, the day after, I am already feeling a bit better about Rusty. I was glad to have had the opportunity for us to share at least a few weeks together.
Happy trails,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
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