Inspiring Hummingbird Flies to Stardom

Many years ago, here in central Florida, we were graced with the presence of many multi-colored hummingbirds, attracted by the wide variety of magnificent red flowers blooming in our backyard.

This was the first time I ever saw a hummingbird up close and personal, so I was completely mesmerized and enchanted by these tiny birds. They resembled tiny helicopters while they were poised in flight, hovering over the blossoms, and gathering the flower nectar.

Therefore I was very sad when they stopped visiting, along with the bumblebees, which also disappeared after appearing daily to feast upon our other flowers. I really missed the hummingbirds' hypnotically sweet sound that used to instantly lull me to sleep when I basked on our pool deck.

However, I am happy to report that this year both the bumblebees and the hummingbirds are slowly returning.

So recently, I was delighted to receive several emails with a fascinating story about Gary Breitbard, who successfully managed to rescue a baby hummingbird following its fall out of its nest.

Gary took the tiny creature "under his wing" after discovering that the baby hummingbird was too young to fly. During the daytime the baby bird was kept exactly where he was found in Gary's backyard, and brought inside the house for the night.

But what I found most amazing about this story was the mama hummingbird's unexpected reaction. I have always heard that once a human touches a fallen baby bird, its mother will abandon it. However, about four days after the little tyke's rescue, the mama hummingbird perched right onto Gary's cupped hands to feed the baby in his hands. Apparently, she not only knew it was her baby, but also made it abundantly clear that any fear she may have experienced was overridden by her maternal instinct.

Since these feedings were happening regularly, Gary phoned a video camera- savvy friend and invited him to come over and film what he described as "some of the amazing goings on" at his place.

This captivating and exhilarating video of the fallen hummingbird baby, nursed back to health and fed by its mother, was uploaded to YouTube by GaryBreitbard. With its overwhelming popularity, it has been seen by close to two million viewers and continues to make its rounds via the Internet. Peter Tommerup, of Saratoga, California is holding the baby hummingbird while its mother hovers to feed it. The video's title is "Peter & Peeps".

Isn't this a truly unique and heartwarming tale? Leave a comment with your thoughts.

Photo credit: Wikipedia