Sweet Success

In the valley that exists above the higher peaks of the Colorado Rockies, 10,000 feet above sea level, there is little that grows but some frightening looking pine trees, dessert weedy types of grass and minimal wild flowers. As to animals, we see occasional herds of wild antelope and hear wolves howling at night, and I'm sure there are bears (whom I never hope to meet). And while I expect see the occasional raptor, every morning this last trip I was quite surprised to see  hummingbirds whizzing over our porch to the cluster of trees just in front of us when we were out there enjoying our breakfast.

Though we were only going to be there for 5 days, I ran out and bought an el cheapo plastic feeder and asked the locals how to make the stuff to fill it (1 part sugar to 2 parts water, cooked up in a pot so the sugar dissolves, cool, fill feeder).

I hung it out front just before the sun set and could not believe my eyes when first thing in the morning I heard that very unique little whirring sound of their wings outside my window.  Since they're there and gone in a heartbeat, I grabbed my camera and with a mix of stealth and haste I got this shot through the dewy window. The bird was gone before before I could get a better angle.  

Later that day my husband balanced on a ladder while dilligently waterproofing on the back wall of the cabin.  I'd gone into town so I didn't see it but he told me that the hummingbirds flew back several times that day. One of them, attracted to the red on his cap, not only came up to his face, but landed on his bill. Delighted, he stayed as still as he could til the bird flew away. He said it was surreal. I wish I had gotten a picture of THAT!

They say it takes a long time for animals to find your feeders... not in this case! We were so thrilled to have such easy success with these elusive birds we can hardly wait to go back up again.