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The birds were singing and chirping in the bushes and trees in a field near my house as I picked some daffodils, grape hyacinths, and lawn daisies.  As I bent over to find daisies with long stems I noticed a hummingbird in a bush about 5 feet from me. As it turned its head, the ruby red feathers on his or her neck glistened and sparkled like jewels.  I am not sure if it was an Anna`s hummingbird or a female Rufous hummingbird.  I  stood up and watched the little hummer as it preened and turned its head from side to side. Other birds, a pair of house finches and a chickadee came into the bush, chattered for a minute and then flew off. The hummingbird continued to sit looking around and after about 10 minutes it flew off.

We have hummingbirds that come to various parts of our yard all through the year. I can see them in the trees around my yard when I sit on the deck, but they are 15 to 20 feet away and never sit still as long as this one did. It was delightful to stop and watch this hummer so close up. Last summer I made a number of needle felted hummingbirds. While I was photographing them outside, a real Anna`s hummingbird came to the loose strife plants I was using in my photos and began to sip nectar.

I was thinking on my walk home from the field how often it is that while I am doing something else the most marvelous and surprising things happen. Things that I can`t plan for except to leave room for them and to take time to enjoy them as they happen.

Anna`s Hummingbird – needle felted wool roving and angelina fibre

Hummingbirds zoom
From flower to flower
They drink lots of nectar
Hour by hour

This little hummingbird
Hovers in place
Legend tells us
They bring joy and grace