Suburban Wild Series

Two Hummingbirds

The Story Behind Two Hummingbirds

Artwork Details

• Technique: Thread Painting

• Dimensions: 10" wide x 8" high

• Collection: Suburban Wild Series

• Availability: Private collection

Sometimes nature finds you when you least expect it.

Years ago, I decorated my living room with several potted silk trees. I had one too many to fit inside, so the extra tree found a home on my front porch in a small nook beside the front door.

Not long afterward, a pair of hummingbirds decided it was the perfect place to build a nest.

I wanted to watch the entire process, but I didn't want to disturb them. Instead, I threaded the cable for my webcam through the frame of the front door and mounted the camera on a pole so it could look directly into the nest. That allowed me to observe everything from a respectful distance.

Over the following weeks, I captured hundreds of photographs and several videos, including the exciting day when the chicks hatched.

This image was one of my favorites. The pair had just begun building their nest, and for a brief moment they both paused in the tree. It almost looked as though they were posing for the camera.

Unfortunately, hummingbirds aren't the tidiest of tenants. By the time the young birds had fledged, the silk tree had suffered so much damage that it couldn't be saved.

After they left, I had no choice but to throw the tree away.

A short time later, the hummingbirds returned, looking for the tree that had become their nursery.

It was gone.

Although the tree is long gone, the photographs remain, along with the memory of having a front-row seat to one of nature's most remarkable little stories.