"Henry" the hummingbird

Lynne and I named Henry this evening. I figured that he was a male.. because of his bright-red/orange plumage on the front of his neck. Henry had been feeding at a newly-placed nectar-feeder. I first noticed him early yesterday morning. He was hanging "upside-down" from a perch.. I thought that he might be "stuck".. but he righted-himself and moved to a different perch out of view. I didn't think any more about it.. and hadn't mentioned it to Lynne.

Later in the afternoon, Lynne alerted me that there was a hummingbird hanging upside-down from the feeder. She thought it was dead. I knew that it must be the same bird. I went outdoors and reached-up for the little bird. He fell into my hand.. "fluttering his wings" for a second or two.. but then settled into my palm.




There was obviously something wrong with little Henry. He was weak.. so I placed him on a table on our deck and mixed-up a micro-batch of nectar which I put in the cap from a soda bottle.. and placed it under his beak. He drank a little bit of it.



I left him on the table with the little capful of nectar for the night; free to fly-away if he had the strength. This morning it was raining.. and he was still there. Soaking-wet; he turned his head and moved his tail-feathers. I was glad that he was still alive.

When I returned from work this afternoon.. Henry had passed-away.

I decided to give him a burial.. since I'd held him in my palm and fed him. We'd planted some Salvia.. which has red flowers that attract hummingbirds.. so I laid him down atop a bed of the flower-petals.. placed in a small tin.



He was laid to rest beneath a perennial hosta in our backyard. Rest in peace little Henry.