Here buddy! ... a little under this wing please.

[Viddyog]

A few days ago, here in the foothills of California's Central Valley, I was watering a scrawny old peach tree barely surviving a long dry summer. I was flushing out 150 ft of garden hose before filling my motorhome's fresh water tank and I wasn't paying much attention. I was about 15 feet from the tree using one of those squeeze grip sprayers when movement on one of the low branches caught my attention. The lighting wasn't good but soon I saw a tiny hummingbird had come to perch within range of the sprayer's mist. I had just determined the hummer's head was darker than the body when it flitted off the branch and went into a hover DIRECTLY UNDER the course, strong, spray. WOW! It stayed right there in the falling vail of heavy mist for 4 or 5 long seconds and then went back to the branch. As I marveled at what I just witnessed "he" preened and scrubbed his long beak on the limb. What the heck ... if "he" wants a bath I can help! I then flicked the stream above the perched bird much to it's delight. It stayed there another 4 or 5 seconds soaking up the spray before I shut off the nozzle. A couple more seconds and "he" zipped off with a buzzy sort of chatter ... a "thank you" I guess.

Awesome! I helped a hummer take a shower. Has anyone else experience anything like this? Dang! Sure wish I had a video but, alas, at least I have a vivid memory, and just as good ... this GREAT forum where I can tell you folks about it!

Mark

[Kiko]

That must have been a terrific experience Mark.

I heard a woman on radio today saying she had just visited California, didn't catch which part, she said she saw no birds at all except hummingbirds and some big black birds that were dropping out of the sky and dying from a disease.

It sounded weird and the interviewer didn't question her about it.

[BarbaraM]

That must have been a terrific experience Mark.

I heard a woman on radio today saying she had just visited California, didn't catch which part, she said she saw no birds at all except hummingbirds and some big black birds that were dropping out of the sky and dying from a disease.

It sounded weird and the interviewer didn't question her about it.

Hi - In my area of urban Sacramento a non-birder might not notice all the birds in the trees (Bushtits, Woodpeckers, Cedar Waxwings, Scrubjays, Warblers, Owls plus Geese starting to fly over at night, but you'd certainly notice the hummers and the crows.

We have West Nile Virus here now - just got here in the last year or two. Corvids (Crows and Ravens) are particularly susceptible to dying from the mosquito borne disease. I hadn't heard "dropping out of the sky" but it is expected that large numbers will be found dead. That may be happening in parts of the state already. Barbara

[Kiko]

Thanks Barbara, I didn't think she was a birder, she would have missed those other wonderful birds. I've often thought "no birds around here " then waited for 15 minutes and counted five different species in the trees, going quitely about their business.
Apart from the joy of bird watching I think it teaches you patience and hones your observing skills.

It's disturbing to hear about the West Nile Virus.

[Missy]

One year, my husband would go out in the morning and water a patch of grass that we had just seeded. Every morning a hummingbird would fly into the water and take a bath.

I've turned on the mist spray and aimed it up into a tree where a hummer was sitting. It will spread its wings and flutter them then fly off and preen.

This morning, while I was holding the hose with a small stream of water coming out, one of my hummers came right up to the stream and was going to drink out of it. He backed off and then came right back and came within inches of the stream. He didn't drink this time, but he does drink from the stream of water that comes out of my St. Francis statue.

[Tim42]

A few days ago, here in the foothills of California's Central Valley, I was watering a scrawny old peach tree barely surviving a long dry summer. I was flushing out 150 ft of garden hose before filling my motorhome's fresh water tank and I wasn't paying much attention. I was about 15 feet from the tree using one of those squeeze grip sprayers when movement on one of the low branches caught my attention. The lighting wasn't good but soon I saw a tiny hummingbird had come to perch within range of the sprayer's mist. I had just determined the hummer's head was darker than the body when it flitted off the branch and went into a hover DIRECTLY UNDER the course, strong, spray. WOW! It stayed right there in the falling vail of heavy mist for 4 or 5 long seconds and then went back to the branch. As I marveled at what I just witnessed "he" preened and scrubbed his long beak on the limb. What the heck ... if "he" wants a bath I can help! I then flicked the stream above the perched bird much to it's delight. It stayed there another 4 or 5 seconds soaking up the spray before I shut off the nozzle. A couple more seconds and "he" zipped off with a buzzy sort of chatter ... a "thank you" I guess.

Awesome! I helped a hummer take a shower. Has anyone else experience anything like this? Dang! Sure wish I had a video but, alas, at least I have a vivid memory, and just as good ... this GREAT forum where I can tell you folks about it!

Mark
I haven't bathed a bird, yet, but I did have the joy of touching a Chickadee with my finger! I was standing next to my feeder, motionless, waiting for the birds to return to it. I stood with my arm outstretched and resting on the feeder perch. The Chickadee landed and started feeding right next to my fingers and all I did was reach a little closer and stroke his hind quarters with my finger. He stayed for a few more seconds before taking off and I was thrilled that I could do something like that! :flyaway:

[jackied]

I have a flat hanging feeder that i feed mealworms off. The mealworms go in a small plastic pot, and mixed seed takes up the rest of the feeder. One day I had already topped up the seed and came back to the feeder with some mealworms, there was a great tit eating the seed. Normaly as you approach the bird will fly off, but not this bird, he stayed on the feeder and i actualy had to lift him up to put the worms on the feeder, then i plonked him back down on top of the seed. It may be that he was sick in some way and did'nt want to use up energy flying off, but he had energy enough to feed.

Jackie