Fumbling in the Flowers

     It was a cool crisp morning and the sun was still half an hour away from making an appearance. I sat on the deck prepared for some morning hummingbird entertainment. That 30 minutes before sunrise can be a very intense time for hummingbird feeding, especially after a very cool night without food. I glanced around the yard continuously, looking for sightings in the flowers and at the feeders. At a certain point I heard a faint humming. I started looking around me, up at the feeder that hung about 6 feet away, but nothing. The humming continued. "Where is it coming from"? I looked down at the camera on my lap, and right beside my chair was the clumsiest little juvenile Ruby-throat. He showed no concern for me, but fumbled around in the Million Bells while his uncoordinated little wings slapped around in the flower petals. He was impressed with what he found and gave me enough time to prepare the camera. The lighting was not so good that early in the morning, but I managed to snap a few pics before he carried on throughout the garden. It was because he had spent time there earlier that he continued to return throughout the day, and eventually blended in to all the other fighting hummingbirds. 
      Juvenile Male Ruby-throat hummingbird. N.E. of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. August 2017.

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