I may be an “animal person” — I love looking after my animals and watching and being around animals of all types. But, as cool as they are, I wouldn’t consider myself a “bird person.” In fact, I have an ongoing feud with a beautiful red-headed woodpecker (think “Woody Woodpecker from the cartoons) that likes to tap on my front porch every morning just as the sun is rising, waking me up and starting the dogs barking. I would like this bird to go away and never come back.
But, living in the country, I try to do the right things to look after the wild birds around our house. In the winter, I put feeders full of seed for the birds that stick around in the cold, snowy months, and in the summer, I make hummingbird water and place it in the brightly colored feeders that hang on the front porch and the large tree in the front yard — well out of reach of the cats.
It’s those tiny hummingbirds that are my favorite of all of the wild birds that stop by for a visit and a snack. They’re so fast, beautiful, and colorful. They seem to float in the air, and their little wings are moving so quickly that they’re impossible to see. Then, the birds dart back and forth as they move from place to place.
Our little hummingbird friends are surprisingly territorial, and it’s not out of the ordinary to walk out of the front door and witness the hummingbirds squabbling over a particular feeder or desired spot in the tree. For such teeny, tiny creatures, they are incredibly active and even aggressive.
That is why it was so shocking when the family in the video below discovered a hummingbird sitting on the grass. The little creature was flapping its wings, but couldn’t seem to get off the ground. It even allowed humans to approach it, which is incredibly rare.
As exciting as it was for the little boy to get close to such a fascinating animal, his father quickly realized that something must be wrong. The bird didn’t seem to be injured, and on closer inspection, he found that it was stuck to a piece of chewing gum left on the ground. It took some very careful and delicate maneuvering, but the man was able to free the adorable hummingbird.
Watch the rescue in the video below, complete with adorable commentary from the little boy!
