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- 10/14/09
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Some of you may have seen this when I posted it on FB back in July. I figured I would share it here finally 
My DH and my dad were out doing guy stuff at the ranch and came across a hummingbird on the ground. She was sitting in a shallow puddle of water, her face covered in algae and yuck (It was from the seasonal stream we get and was drying up, so pretty stagnant and gross).
They came up to the barn and called me over - I knew it would be something bad. When I got there, laying down in DH's hat was this tiny little hummingbird. Barely moving. I was upset of course, not wanting to see it if it was going to die. So of course we had to do something. Put her in a carrier and covered it, placed her in the barn office so she was safe while we mixed up nectar for her.
I syringe fed her, drop by drop at first and she started to perk up a little after about 20 minutes and then she would feed with gusto and then kinda just chill for a bit, lick a little and then feed with gusto again. I was able to get some pics and video (not much) but it was something beyond amazing and certainly nothing I ever thought I'd do.
We kept her outside and after a few hours she'd fly a bit and then sit perched wherever she happened to land (a few times on my shoulder!!!).
We got a feeder set up and took her to a canyon here that has a ton of plants that they love to feed on. She had really started perking up and flying more, so we wanted her to be in a place where she had food, shelter and safety but was not confined in anyway.
I had seen her a few times over the next few days so Im very confident that she made it. I have since read if they go too long without food they go into torpor so I think that is what happened. It seemed like a young bird and where she was found was pretty much wash and nothing to feed on that we could see.
Anyway, thought some of you might enjoy this.
[video=youtube_share;mh3rTzTlM2Y]http://youtu.be/mh3rTzTlM2Y[/video]
My DH and my dad were out doing guy stuff at the ranch and came across a hummingbird on the ground. She was sitting in a shallow puddle of water, her face covered in algae and yuck (It was from the seasonal stream we get and was drying up, so pretty stagnant and gross).
They came up to the barn and called me over - I knew it would be something bad. When I got there, laying down in DH's hat was this tiny little hummingbird. Barely moving. I was upset of course, not wanting to see it if it was going to die. So of course we had to do something. Put her in a carrier and covered it, placed her in the barn office so she was safe while we mixed up nectar for her.
I syringe fed her, drop by drop at first and she started to perk up a little after about 20 minutes and then she would feed with gusto and then kinda just chill for a bit, lick a little and then feed with gusto again. I was able to get some pics and video (not much) but it was something beyond amazing and certainly nothing I ever thought I'd do.
We kept her outside and after a few hours she'd fly a bit and then sit perched wherever she happened to land (a few times on my shoulder!!!).
We got a feeder set up and took her to a canyon here that has a ton of plants that they love to feed on. She had really started perking up and flying more, so we wanted her to be in a place where she had food, shelter and safety but was not confined in anyway.
I had seen her a few times over the next few days so Im very confident that she made it. I have since read if they go too long without food they go into torpor so I think that is what happened. It seemed like a young bird and where she was found was pretty much wash and nothing to feed on that we could see.
Anyway, thought some of you might enjoy this.
[video=youtube_share;mh3rTzTlM2Y]http://youtu.be/mh3rTzTlM2Y[/video]
I normally do not like to interfere with nature, but I also cant stand to see something suffer...
