Ingredients for a welcoming garden

Steve Kawaratani

“Good drama must be drastic.”

-- Friedrich Schlegel

“It was the wish to drink from many flowers,

That gave the hummingbird his wings.”

-- Anonymous

A male Anna’s Hummingbird greets me as I leave for work each

morning; his platform depends on his mood -- atop a Peppermint tree,

salvia or potted orchid. I watch as he and his mate dart, hover, eat,

chase, court, build nests and raise young. When he isn’t busy eating,

he spends his time defending territory or preening himself. This

frenetic activity had Catharine and myself recalling a saga from

nearly 10 years ago ...

“We have an emergency, honey, come home quickly,” commanded

Catharine. “There is a situation here!” I hurried home to witness the

unfolding drama, a baby hummingbird clinging desperately for

survival; only a single leg, holding tenuously to the nest, prevented

it from a fall to certain death. After I set up a ladder, my wife

gingerly rescued the tiny young bird. She then passed it safely into

my waiting hands.

Catharine, Austin and I took turns caring for the hummingbird over

the next 48 hours. Our good friend, John Hamil, at the Canyon Animal

Hospital, instructed us to “keep it warm on a heating pad and feed it

hummingbird food,” which it eagerly accepted.

However, he cautioned us, “In order to ensure normal growth and a

return to the wild, the hummingbird would require specialized care.”

The next day, we entrusted our new friend to the staff of the Pacific

Wildlife Project in Laguna Niguel.

Attracting birds to your garden helps to reclaim, in a small way,

a natural world for these friends. To create a paradise for

hummingbirds and other wild birds, don’t keep your garden “squeaky

clean.” Resist the temptation to rake up every leaf, trim out all of

the dead branches or spray until the last pest is driven away. That

type of garden is sterile and offers little to attract birds.

A garden that offers refuge, shelter and food is far more likely

to be called home by feathered friends.

Instant nectar is an effective method to initially attract

hummingbirds into your garden. Various commercial bird foods and

feeders are available from Opus and Perky-Pet Brand. Try to place

feeders near flowers that will offer real nectar and insects.

Landscaping with favorite flowering trees, shrubs and flowers will

keep hummingbirds’ attention once they have visited your garden. They

favor flowers that are red, orange, blue or pink. Their beaks are

specialized to extract nectar, tiny insects and spiders. Flowers with

trumpet, funnel or tube shapes are on their “A” list as well.

About a month later, Linda from Pacific Wildlife Project called

and told us that our hummingbird was ready to come home. Catharine

had been anticipating this moment and had set up our back garden much

like an expectant mother would decorate a nursery.

Hummingbird feeders were festooned from the trees along with a

dozen plants that are known favorites of the species.

We opened the travel case carefully, and our friend hovered for a

moment and then flew vertically through the opening. He could fly!

He faltered a moment and then went straight toward his mother, who

had waited for his return. He remained a frequent visitor in our

garden for months, his bright red face proclaiming proudly that he

was a male Anna’s Hummingbird. See you next time.

* STEVE KAWARATANI can be contacted at (949) 497-2438 or by e-mail

at landscapes@ln.coxatwork.com. He makes his home with Catharine

Cooper and their two cats and hopes that drivers will slow down,

particularly during peak summer traffic.