It’s the height of hummingbird season, just as it is the peak of wedding season. Like the preparation for a wedding, the hummingbirds create quite a hub of activity. Here in my new gardens in Taos, the hummingbirds are summer-long visitors as opposed to their brief appearances in Denver. Currently, the Rufous hummingbirds are in control. This species is the most aggressive in defending its territory. The poor Broadtails have to make brave forays to the feeder and flowers.
It is fun to observe how couples (I’m back to weddings and humans!) react to having their outdoor wedding in front of a hummingbird feeder. I thought the reaction would be quite positive, but some people want me to take it down during the ceremony! I suppose a red plastic bottle isn’t the most photogenic thing in the world. If only I could train the hummers to pose with brides!
The trill of a hummingbird’s wings is a happy sound for me, always bringing a smile to my face. Sometimes I can’t even see them, but I sure can hear them. The hovering and dive bombing antics are quite hilarious to watch. My gardens are providing lots of opportunity for hide-and-seek. I have many low-growing red tubular flowers (far and away their favorite) and I watch them skim along the ground trying to stay off the radar of the territorial opposition, the Rufous. About a dozen hummers perch in various spots about the garden – on top of tomato cages, on barbed wire fencing and in the native sunflowers dotting the meadow.
They’re a joy to experience and so if you’d like to engage me as your northern New Mexico marriage Officiant and use my gardens as a unique wedding location, I’ll do my best to have the hummers join us for the celebration!
Want more information on this topic? Email Dan at Dan@EmbracingCeremony.com