Rufous Hummingbird Way off Course

Rufous Hummingbird - Wikipedia

I had never heard of a rufous hummingbird until this morning, but now I realize I missed a great opportunity on the next block.

Yesterday afternoon when I was out in the alley clearing snow, a young couple -- all bundled up and looking a trifle eccentric -- asked me if I knew where to find "the hummingbird" somewhere in the neighborhood. I mentioned that I thought I'd seen a hummingbird fluttering among the last blooms in the prairie garden but figured that this was simply wishful thinking, given the time of year.

More snow last night so this morning I was out with my shovel again, and two of my neighbors mentioned the "rufous hummingbird" on the next block, where a local birder had set up a makeshift warming station for the bird. Photographers were capturing beautiful images of the bird, so I planned to visit this afternoon, though I felt sad that the little creature seemed to be so alone and far off its migration path.

I read on a birding site early this afternoon that the bird had been captured and was headed to wildlife rehab. I hope this is a good thing for the bird, but it's definitely bad for me because I missed out on a great photo shoot.

Giving me pause: I may have looked just a little "off" myself this morning. The day was cold and I was wearing a big jacket, hat, heavy mittens and rather masculine looking hiking boots. My transition lenses were dark, despite only a little sun. The first neighbor gave me a knowing look and asked, "Are you into birding at all?", before starting in on the rufous hummingbird story. "Oh yes,", I answered with enthusiasm. So now I guess I am readily identifiable on the street. Next thing you know I'll be in full birding gear, leaving no doubt as to either my birding bent or mental status.