A Visit With an Angel

Outside the open window
The morning air is all awash with angels.
- Richard Purdy Wilbur

The season is growing late in these parts for hummingbirds. Our cherished regulars are usually gone from our yard by the third or fourth week of September. No, it is NOT true that keeping your feeders up too long will delay the birds from migrating as they should.

In fact, the hummingbird experts recommend you keep the feeders clean and full for at least two more weeks after spotting your last little bird, just in case any migratory visitors passing through may benefit from a little hospitality.

We are down to just one last regular bird at our feeders. A few days ago, I spotted a new visitor to our yard, and I tried in vain to photograph her. But she kept blurring out on my shots. I couldn't figure out what was wrong. So on Saturday and Sunday, I staked out the yard and didn't give up until I got a few pictures of her.

That's when I realized what the issue was. Well, there were TWO issues, to be exact. The first one is that this is the palest, lightest colored hummingbird I have ever seen. The second is that these migratory birds are FAST!

Her entire chest and belly are totally white. The parts of her that should be green - the top of her head, the coat on her back - are, but they are the palest shade of green. That's why I was getting a white blur when I tried to photograph her; the contrast of her whiteness against anything and everything else was giving me blurs. (For comparison, here's a link to a female with more typical coloring.)

Migratory birds behave quite differently than the regulars who've spent their entire summer here. While the regulars know us, and hang in the air in front of us, and sit on the feeders for a long time, the migratory birds are quick and skittish. A regular might be at the feeder for a few minutes, but one of the passers-through might be there for seconds only (and sometimes not even that)!

So I made myself comfortable in one of the yard chairs on Sunday morning between the rains and sat quietly, and I was rewarded with an appearance by what I've come to think of as this little angel, a very special visitor to our yard.

Her behavior was the same each time: perch briefly, tiny (adorable) feet clutching the trellis, then dive down to the feeder, drink quickly, and fly high into the skies, where she would sit on a tree branch far above my head. It took several visits before I got a decent shot, but in the end, I did get a few.

In this photo, she is standing on the trellis showing off her lovely white tummy and pale green hat. I don't know how long she will stay. I have not seen her today, so in fact, as I type this, she may already have left us.

You cannot tell angels what to do, or where to go. They make their own agendas and pursue their own journeys. But I can tell you this: they are a special blessing to those who pause a moment and look up . . . and actually see one. Even if only for a few seconds. Color me . . . grateful; and we take none of these gifts for granted.

The soundtrack: the Scorpions, with Send Me an Angel. I'm including a beautiful acoustic version, as well as the official video. Enjoy! And don't forget to keep watch out for angels. . . .