For the past few months, we have shared our home with another family. A mommy hummingbird has built its nest on the lamp that hangs above our car porch. This is the second time we've had a hummingbird nest there. Guess it's a good spot considering the nest is completely sheltered from the elements.
I watched the hummingbird as she painstakingly built her nest, one twig/ strand of hair/ dried leaf at a time. The work of art slowly unfolding before my eyes. She then laid her eggs, and sat on them for weeks, perhaps even a month or two. She just stayed in there patiently, with her head poking out, keeping her eggs warm. Then one day, she wasn't there anymore. I was worried. Did the chicks hatch? Did something happen to the mommy? Are they alright? I checked in as frequently as I could.
After a few days, I saw the most amazing sight. The mommy flew towards her nest, gave a short chirp, and out popped two of the tiniest beaks I've ever seen. She was bringing food to her two hungry and greedy chicks. She perched on the outside of the nest, and the chicks reached into her beak and gulped food down. That picture would forever be etched in my mind.
Once the food is finished, she would fly off again, no doubt in search for more tasty grub for her darlings. When she's gone, the chicks sit with their tiny heads peering out into the big world, eagerly awaiting her return. The mommy's been at it now, for a couple of weeks, and each time before flying back to coop, she never fails to hover around in the shrubs nearby, to make sure that the coast is clear, to avoid detection of her nest and precious babies. She reminds me so much of what us human mommies do for our children. Us and her, we build homes for our families, we patiently take care of the babies before they "hatch", we tirelessly nurse them after they are born, and find nourishing food for them.
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