Gulliver's "Rescue"

[DebinSC]

This "rescue" wouldn't have been needed if we hadn't left the screen door open to wide. A Ruby-throated Hummingbird (the first one we've spotted this season) got himself caught on our back screened porch this morning. Tried to catch him, tried to steer him to the wide-open door, but no go. He wore himself out for about 2 hours. Finally, apparently out of gas, he came to rest on top of the screen door. I was able to get up there and get him down to take him outside.

This photo is right after I got him down off the top of the screen door. He was so still and his eyes were closed. He clearly was too pooped to buzz away.

First I tried encouraging him to drink from the feeder. I tried putting nectar on my fingers and dripping it on the end of his beak. No response.

He would sit on my hand, then try to fly, but wouldn't get more than a foot before he'd flutter to the ground. Each time, one of us would put our hand down in front of him and he'd hop back on.

We finally got him to sit on the feeder, but he seemed oblivious, and very wobbly and actually fell off onto the grass...again.

After several failed attempts to fly away, he settled on the ground again. In desperation, we pulled some honeysuckle blossoms and I held them in front of him. Miraculously, he stuck his little beak in and started tucking into those flowers like crazy.
Then he stopped and sat again very still - waiting for the nectar sugar to kick in we were hoping. Suddenly he opened his eyes and took off and flew up about 20 feet to a branch over head! I put the honeysuckle blossoms we'd picked in a hanging planter under the tree, hoping if he wasn't strong enough yet to go find more food, he might come back. I really didn't think he would, though. (This pic is right before he took off.)

He sat up in the trees, flitting from branch to branch, and then he came back to the hanging planter where I'd left the honeysuckle blossoms! He came back several times over the next hour or so.

Later, I saw he was up to hoviring around the honeysuckle where it was growing on the oak, and he's been buzzing around like a little jet plane ever since. :)

Alan said we should give him a nickname, and he suggested Gulliver.

[Cecilia]

I love all the pictures!

[Andy P]

Great story and pics, Deb.
Thanks for posting.

[sjasis]

Wow, what a story! Always glad when these things have a happy ending! Super pics! Thanks for sharing :)

[thymewarp13]

Great story and wonderful pics, Deb! Glad to note that little Gulliver's story has a happy ending.

[GTO]

real nice story Deb and luckily you guys were there to save him!

[LittleWing]

How lucky Gulliver is! Thanks for sharing with us. They are precious little guys :)

[Bebop]

Wonderful story and wonderful photos. This was one of those moments out of time we live for.

[Angela Coffey]

Wow Deb..what a great, heart-warming story! And the photos are outstanding! Thanks for sharing...

[bear wagoner]

excellent that you were there and able to help him out

[DebinSC]

Had to try, specially since it was our screen porch that wore the poor thing out! :)