I'm just finishing up washing all three cars today and getting ready to gear up for a motorcycle ride when I hear a small animal 'cry' and fluttering and see a Hummingbird near the lights in my garage trying to get out. He flew in through the doors and can't figure out how to get out. They actually have a cry, like a small puppy whimper and I was not expecting that. Drat. How am I going to manage this? I took a corn broom and gently try to persuade it to the open door, realizing they are pretty fragile things. That did nothing but panic the hummingbird further. Ditch that idea.
Next I grabbed a lawn leaf rake and held it up still to where he/she was and it landed on it, twice. I moved very slowly to the door with the bird on the tang, but each time it flew off and back up to the ceiling. I know Hummingbirds exhaust themselves quickly and can die rapidly so I tried to keep it calm and work the rake idea as best I could but the hummingbird was not cooperating, just fluttering and crying for help. I kept very quiet and tried not to move or speak, just hoping it would keep landing on the rake.
Then the bird just....dropped. It was exhausted and fell into a corner in the garage on the floor. I went over very slowly and carefully scooped it up in my hand - they weigh nothing - and covered it with my other hand then walked out of the garage. Once outside I sat down in the grass and uncovered my hand and the hummingbird did nothing, but looked like it was still alive. After about 30 seconds of sitting in my hand it just flew off hard and fast. Success!
Thus was my best adventure of the day - if you can call it that. Put a smile on my face as I went for a ride. Gotta help the little critters of the world when you can.
