The Nectar Goddess
Watching the hummingbirds watching me
I am the Nectar Goddess. When they see me bearing tubes of sugared glass, they amass, in a frenzy of clicks and swooping hollers, squealing and dive-bombing one another in their thirsty delight.
The sight of me invokes great curiosity.
They hover, tiny wings, like angels’ halos beating at the soft breath of spring, which sings them north from Mexico’s jungles and valleys, through time-worn alleys of the sky, on their great migration.
It’s that time of year again in Southern California — when my feeders begin to fill up with the new arrivals from Mexico. In the winter months, the local birds only sip enough sugar water that I have to refill the feeders once a week. But, at the height of summer, I refill each of five “jumbo” feeders at least once a day.
My office opens out onto the balcony where the feeders hang, so they are pretty used to my presence. And, when I come out with replenished feeders, if I stand very still for a few moments, they will swarm all around me, their little wings buzzing the air. Once in a while, a curious one (like in the top photo) will hover just inches away from my eyes, as if to ask, “Are you the Nectar Goddess.”
The males (always a bit more colorful than the females) are quite ferocious and territorial. They dive-bomb each other, chasing their competitors away. But the “one who was chased” usually figures out a way to stealthily sneak back in.
The females tend to socialize much better at the feeders. Oftentimes, I will look out and see every port of one feeder occupied by “the girls.” It’s like their little social hour. But then, inevitably, one of the boys shows up and chases everybody off.
The tiny Rufous hummingbirds travel all the way from Mexico each year, some of them just stopping over, here in Southern California, and some of them flying as far as Colorado and Alaska.
The Allen and Anna’s Hummingbirds, though, reside here in my garden all year long, entertaining me with their antics at the feeder while I am writing. They give me endless delight.
When feeding the hummingbirds, use sugar/water in a 1:4 ratio (1 cup sugar in 4 cups water). Please, NEVER use the red dye which is often contained in pre-packaged mixes because it can give them throat cancer. I normally use a cup or two of boiling water to dissolve the sugar, then add ice and room temperature water, so that the liquid doesn’t burn their little tongues.
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Erika Burkhalter is a yogi, cat-mom, photographer, and lover of travel and nature, spreading her love and amazement for Mother Earth’s glories, one photo, poem or story at a time. (MS Neuropsychology, MA Yoga Studies).
Poem and photos ©Erika Burkhalter. All rights reserved.
