Then the Dr. (bird) arrived. They buzzed in. They buzzed out. They buzzed back in again, and then lit in nearby trees. Mrs. Peel and I each held an Appleton miniature filled with sugar water. The bottle was capped and the caps were neatly punctured so the Dr. Bird could dip his bill.
The tongue of a hummingbird (Dr. Birds are hummingbirds) is long and resembles the pistol of a flower but when it leaves the hummingbirds mouth it essentially divides in half length-wise.
Each side resembles a hollow straw except the sides of the hummingbirds tongue are split. They open when they contact fluid then zip closed once their tongue is loaded. The H/B’s tongues flick sugar water 20 x a second.
Wing beats up to 90 x a second. Heart rates can exceed 1200 beats a minute. We are blessed in this world, I’m pretty sure we don’t deserve it.
I was completely moved by the experience. A wild bird landing on your finger is a complete marvel. I felt touched by god (yet “we [I] believe in nothing Lebowski”). There is a you-tube video of a young woman crying as she is immersed in the Rockland’s experience. I’m sure she was overwhelmed with emotion, I was nearly crying myself.
Another couple entered the arbor while we were there. No problem, there were enough birds to go around. It seems you can stay until another (large) group comes along. We sat there and absorbed the wonder for probably an hour and a half. When another loaded tour bus arrived. Oliver gently led us away to investigate the grounds, while the new group with another guide took over the arbor.
