Today I was in our barn finishing up after working Boots and riding, and noticed a familiar noise coming from the rafters. When I identified what was making the sound, I realized it was a hummingbird. It was buzzing around the sky lights as if they would open up to let the bird out. I opened both large sliding barn doors to see if the light from the sun would attract the little bird, to no avail. I knew if I did not do something, eventually this little bird would tire out and die. It was expending so much energy trying to get out. I walked to the house, got a hummingbird feeder off the porch, cleaned it out, filled it with fresh sugar water and headed back to the barn. Now, I am hoping if I stand holding the feeder, the scent will attract the bird. By this point is getting really tired spending more and more time resting on the rafters. I then decide to climb up to the hay loft and hold the feeder. Somehow, the hummingbird ended up landing near me exhausted and I try to offer it some of the food by simply holding the feeder up to it. This did not work either. Next thing I know it flies into the rafter, so I go carefully collect it in my hand, climb down to the ground and take it outside to lay on a fence rail. I returned to the barn to get the sugar feeder and return to the fence. The poor little hummingbird is exhausted. I carefully pick it up and aim its little beak down into the hole of the feeder and could see it drinking!! I allowed it to drink its fill and rearranged its wing that was caught in its little claw. It took about 30 seconds or so for the little ruby throated hummingbird to gain its strength. Slowly, its eyes opened (I think it was looking at me), then it started moving its head, and then it went from laying to perching. Within a minute or so, it flew from my hand up into a tree branch where it perched. I continued to hold up the feeder to see if it needed anymore nourishment. It finally just flew away, high into the air. What an experience!! Hummingbirds are one of my favorite birds! One of these days I will try to get a video or picture of them feeding on our front porch. ❤️
