Lessons From A Hummingbird

Who did you spend your morning with today? I spent mine with the elusive Rufous Hummingbird. This feisty little bird is a migrant and passes through our area for an all too brief visit each spring on the way from its wintering grounds in Mexico to its breeding grounds in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, a one-way journey of nearly 3,900 miles! At the very most I get to see it for just a few days, so I always try and take full advantage of this fleeting moment.

I took my coffee outside this morning and relaxed into the porch swing, it was peaceful and so quiet, not even the birds were awake. As the rising sun began to poke through the eucalyptus grove beyond our back fence, a few birds finally began to stir and that’s when I spotted some movement in the apple tree. This tree is just beginning to leaf out so there’s nowhere for birds to hide, they’re easily visible within the branches. I got just a few seconds of clear view but was able to positively identify the Rufous Hummingbird ( a male), my first sighting of the spring. I watched in silence as it zipped from the apple tree to one of the feeders we have hung from the roof of the deck. With my binoculars I got up close and personal with this bird, marveling at the intricate colors and patterns of its feathers. I spent the next 30 minutes or so watching it go about its morning routine. It would perch at the very top of the apple tree, preen for a few minutes, poop, buzz over to the feeder for a sip then back to the apple tree. What a stunningly beautiful bird this is! The brilliant orange, green and white colors of its feathers were in all their glory as our yard began to fill with light. Talk about being in the moment, the ephemeral nature of this bird’s visit was not lost on me. Who knows if I’ll get another chance to observe it this spring? For all I know it could already be on its way north.

The focus of my yoga class today was to be present in the moment, which is always easier said than done. My teacher Lisa reminded us that all we have is now so experience it, whatever it may be, to the fullest. My morning with the Rufous Hummingbird was a reminder that the best and most fulfilling times in my life have always been when I was fully present and in the moment. I thank this little bird for reminding me of that.