Little Stories from Birdcraft Sanctuary 



195 



return to house shelter, hke some of the Robins and Catbirds that I had 

 rescued and housed in pre-sanctuary days? Would it quickly exhaust itself 

 by too rash and constant flight? 



It was a little past noon of a half hazy August day when the warden brought 

 the bird to my garden. The phloxes were ablaze with bloom and their delicate 

 fragrance was made more evident by the heavy air. Pausing before a stalk 

 of very large white flowers, the warden opened his partly closed hand, releasing 

 the bird which had remained there without a struggle, so complete was its 

 confidence. 



My camera was placed to the best advantage for taking a snap of the bird 

 against the white flowers. The moment came! It paused a moment upon a 

 finger of the now open hand, and then circled the white spray with the true 

 spinning-wheel hum of a veteran. My fingers tightened upon the bulb of the 

 camera, the shutter being set at full speed, when lo, and behold! from above 

 came a flash of iridescence and a second Hummingbird circled about the phlox! 

 The waif gave two sharp calls, the other bird responded, and before I could 

 press the bulb the two had darted away in evident joyous companionship! 



Was it only a chance meeting? Or was it a featheied scout of the tribe 

 sent by Mother Nature to seek and reclaim the lost? 



One thing only is certain, the house-reared Hummingbird did not return 

 to us, but entered into its own kingdom — our best reward. At Birdcraft we 

 do not seek to humanize birds, or to tame them artificially; we try to look at 

 their lives from their own angle, not ours. We strive to aid them and then 

 speed them on to the life for which they were made. 



AN ORPHAN HUMMER 



