Some TLC and plenty of sugar

Lying in the driveway, not far from the paper, a hummingbird rested, flapped, then rested again. I’d seen this before. A bird mistakes a window reflection of the Great Beyond for the real thing and breaks his neck. But this one didn’t seem fatally injured. Maybe he was just seeing stars and would soon zip off. That’s what happened when I once extracted a hummingbird from our cat’s mouth. Sure, it was stunned (they both were), but then WHIZZZ… bye bye birdie.

But this one didn’t file a revised flight plan, so I brought him inside to show David (Correction: I woke David up then showed him.) After figuring out what the hell I was holding under his nose, David suggested I leave Hum on the front deck. “Cause if he takes off in the house we’ll never catch him.” Good thinking!

I put Hum in a planter box, certain he’d soon fly away or give up the ghost. When I returned an hour later, Hum had opted to stay put and stay alive. But his vital signs were weak. So David the Idea Man, now wide awake, suggested I give Hum some sugar water.

Dipping my little finger I offered a single drop. But my pinky looks nothing like a flower, so he wasn’t interested. 5 minutes of continuing to offer a drop suspended from my finger, Hum thinks, “Not my usual fare, but this lady’s trying awfully hard… so… what the hell?” Out darts his teeny tongue and he’s lapping the water! YES!

For the next 2 hours David and I take turns feeding Hum who gets stronger and stronger. It’s incredible!! (Who says there’s no nutrition in sugary drinks?!)

We ended up taking the little guy to Wild Care, a wildlife hospital in San Rafael where there’s a vet who actually specializes in treating injured hummingbirds! Hum turned out to be an Allen’s hummingbird and is now Patient #3258. (In case you’re wondering, we weren’t charged for his treatment… Turns out he was covered on our policy.)

The good folks at Wild Care told us we can call back in a few days and find out how he’s doing. And if Hum recovers, we can participate in the release back into the wild from whence he came (AKA our garden). What a good thing that will be, since he probably has family in the neighborhood who will be happy to welcome him home.

Enjoy our 27 second YouTube video!

UPDATE: 48 hours later I call Wild Care to see how Hum’s doing. He’s still alive, and in “foster care.” I’ll let you know what’s up when I find out more.

UPDATE 2: We just got word that 72 hours after rescuing Hum he decided it was time to leave his body. No doubt he’s now flying free where there are no obstacles. Go Hum!