Hospitality

I've loved hummingbirds forever, but it was only a few years ago -- while living in Oakland, with this simple window feeder -- that I was able to successfully lure them. My first two years in Seattle, though, I lived above a noisy corner, with crows perched on streetlamps nearby and a confusing mass of sliding-door and balcony glass. It was a strict hummingbird no-fly zone.

When I moved to my new place in October, I figured I'd wait until spring to try again. But on a walk one chilly December morning in the Wedgwood neighborhood nearby, I saw hummingbirds thronging to a front-yard feeder and decided, what the heck? If it doesn't work, I'm just out a little bit of sugar. So I put up my feeder just before Christmas. To help keep the nectar liquid in the near-freezing temps and also help attract some birds, I topped it with a tie-dye sock in hummer-friendly colors.

My new place is still on a pretty busy street, so I didn't expect much. But on Christmas Eve morning, talking with my daughter as we rearranged some furniture for a gathering that night, I saw a hummer swoop in from around the corner of my building. They'd arrived, the best Christmas ornaments of all, flashing patches of green and magenta. And now, a few days after taking this picture, I'm ready to refill the feeder.

So thanks to the hummingbirds for your beauty and endless cheap entertainment. Thanks to Natalie for the sock. While I'm at it, thanks to Wilco for a great song. And thanks to my brother-in-law Kevin for the feeder. I sadly had to put it away for two whole years, but it's once again a gift that keeps on giving.