How a Tiny Visitor Changed Everything: My Birdtending Odyssey

 

My morning routine is a little chaotic but filled with purpose. First, I feed the dogs. Sometimes, I even remember to feed myself. But without fail, I make sure my backyard visitors—a growing band of floofy, feathery, and occasionally demanding birds and squirrels—are taken care of.

Scattered around my yard are fountains for drinking and bathing, mealworm stations, sunflower hearts, shelled nuts, suet crumbles—essentially, an all-you-can-eat buffet for the wildlife that has, over time, become a part of my daily life. I love photographing them, capturing their quirks and personalities, watching the little dramas unfold between them.

But it wasn’t always this way.

The Gateway Bird

I never really paid much attention to birds before. Sure, I knew they existed—background noise in everyday life. But one unexpected encounter changed everything.

It was during the pandemic, one of those long, strange, isolated days. I was on a Zoom call with friends, probably half-listening, when something outside the window caught my eye. A hummingbird hovered just outside the glass, lingering longer than I expected. It left, only to return again. And again.

I had the oddest feeling—it was trying to tell me something.

Curious, I went outside. Instead of flying away, the tiny bird zipped toward me, stopping right in front of my face. It was so close I could feel the air from its wings. That was the moment I thought, Okay, clearly, I need to pay attention.

I started small—a simple window-mounted feeder. But that one tiny act of care opened the door to an entire world I had never noticed before.

The Unfinished Conversation

Five years later, my life is intertwined with birds in ways I never expected.

Beyond their beauty and resilience, beyond the joy of watching them thrive, there is another reason I keep doing this—my dad.

My father never really had hobbies. But in his later years, he started watching hummingbirds. It was one of the few things we shared, a small but growing connection between us. Then, unexpectedly, he was gone.

I never got to ask him why hummingbirds interested him. I never got to hear what he was thinking as he faced the realization that his time was running out. What I do know is that he always believed in something greater—not necessarily religion, but that a higher power existed in nature.

That belief, that unfinished conversation, is why I still do this. Every time I refill the feeders, every time a hummingbird hovers near me, I feel just a little bit closer to him.

Maybe my future really does involve birds in some way. I don’t know exactly where this path is leading, but I do know this—I'm paying attention.

Your Turn: What’s Your "Gateway Bird"?

Have you ever had a moment where nature seemed to be trying to tell you something? A bird that caught your attention in an unexpected way? I’d love to hear your story in the comments!

🐦 Want to start your own backyard bird station? Here’s the exact window feeder I started with on Amazon.

📌 Next up: I’ll be sharing my very first video of a hummingbird visit—where it all began! Stay tuned for more stories, tips, and resources on the joys of birdtending.