-- HUMMINGBIRD GALLERY Room #17 --

An e-mail from George Quay of Chagrin Falls, Ohio:

This is to confirm our phone conversation of yesterday afternoon regarding my Quebec friend. I have a cabin on the Ottawa River just north of Pembroke, Ontario. Two years ago after I set out my two feeders the rubythroateds came almost immediately but throughout the week one in particular seemed to be very friendly around me so I approached him on the feeder and he stayed. I reached up and he let me stroke his back with my index finger for a minute or so. Of course, although nobody believed me, I still felt very special.

This year (2003)--two years later--I went through the same routine and the birds came right away. It became quickly very apparent that my old acquaintance was one of this year's birds because every morning he would land in the exact spot on a branch outside my window and watch me eat breakfast at my table. Each day I would open the door and go out and speak to him and he would fluff up and stay in his place for a minute or two before leaving. 

After three days I was walking out to my deck and he was sitting on the deck floor looking up at me. So I walked over and sat down cross-legged next to him and started talking. After a couple of minutes I put my hand down and reached with my finger under his chin and he hopped up on the palm of my open hand. We talked for about five minutes and I am thinking "nobody will belive me, I need to get a picture." I got up with him still on my open palm and walked about 30 yards to where my car was, opened the door, got my digital camara out of its case, and took about five pictures of him on my outstretched hand (see above). I put the camara back in its case, closed the door to the car and walked back to my deck with him still on my outstretched hand. We sat back down for a minute and one of his friends "buzzed" us and he took off and joined him. I have attached pictures for you to see and so that I can prove to all that my story is true and that I am, indeed very privileged.

I am going back to my cabin the end of July 2003 and can't wait to see if he comes again.

The Hummingbird Gallery is a collection of hummingbird-related photographs and other art. Please let us know via PROJECTS if you have a photo, drawing, or image you'd like to share with others on the Operation RubyThroat website.

Back to Main Gallery Page

Back to Hummingbird Miscellany