Corralitas Drive: Unusual Visitor Trapped In Kitchen

Photo: Corralitas Drive Neighbor, February 24, 2017.  A very talkative, unusually colored hummingbird flew into a Corralitas neighbor's kitchen.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

The neighbor said the tiny bird was metallic red, burnt umber and white which is very unusual coloration for around here, and very very vocal.

Rufous Hummingbirds are just migrating through Silver Lake on their way back to the Pacific Northwest from Mexico.  Cornell University's All About Birds describes the Rufous as pugnacious, explaining his talkativeness. 

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor, February 24, 2017.  "He just wanted to lay in my hand for a while before flying off.  He pooped on me and flew away."  They have a 4000 mile migration.  No wonder he needed a lie-down. 

You know hummingbirds get trapped in certain neighbors' homes on a regular basis, when my response was "How did you capture this one?"  The neighbor's replied, "I walked up to him flying against the window and said, 'Here let me help you with that.'  I prepped the camera [phone] before offering my assistance." 

In the past I used a small towel capturing trapped hummingbirds who were bashing themselves against a window in a panic to get out.  They weigh nothing, so it's hard to tell if you even have the bird in the towel.  The neighbor continued, "I don't use towel anymore, because one got his beak and foot stuck in the terry loop and was traumatized about it.  And it pooped all over the towel.  Easier to wash my hands."

Click here for all our hummingbird posts.