The Tangled Nest

I am much too lazy to have a hummingbird feeder.  I never manage to keep enough food made, or to clean the feeder often enough, so instead of bringing me joy, hummingbird feeding has always filled me with guilt.  Plus our deck, where we want the birds to visit, is in full sun, and the food gets too hot.  We do, however, have a yard planted with lots of cover and food for hummingbirds, so we see plenty of the two Seattle species–Rufous and Anna’s.

Hummingbird favorites: Crocosmia, spiraea, sweetpea, nasturtium, and pineapple sage (aka "hummingbird sage").

To bring them up to our deck where we can observe them closely, but without the worry of a feeder, I’ve been placing jars with a few of their favorite flowers along the deck railing.  I’m pretty sure this is the all-time perfect hummingbird feeder:  lovely to look at, pleasant to refill, and much better nectar than I could ever make.  This morning I was enjoying my first cup of java on the porch, and an Anna’s Hummingbird came right up to the jar of pineapple sage, just inches from my face.  I could feel the wind from her wings on my cheek.  What a nice way to start the day–a hummingbird and I, sipping together.