Backyard Birds: Hummingbird Happiness

I think it’s time I shared the Hummingbird story I mentioned in my first Backyard Birds post a couple of months ago.

One afternoon in July I spotted a tiny baby hummingbird perched on top of one of my tomato cages. It looked as if he was confused or injured. Maybe it had been orphaned because of one of the neighborhood cats. A couple minutes later a small junco flew to the same tomato cage and sat nearby. At first, I thought the junco was picking on the baby, chattering at him, flying around overhead, and getting closer and closer. Then all of a sudden the junco perched alongside the hummingbird and the two snuggled up. They sat together for several minutes.

Over the next several weeks I spotted the pair flying together around my garden. Never far from one another. The baby hummingbird got stronger and more mature, and the junco grew up too. One afternoon as the hummingbird zipped from flower to flower I noticed his junco friend sitting on a rose bush nearby. The hummingbird flew over to his friend hovering in front of him, chirping away, and then he stopped to rest for a moment. That’s when I saw the junco attempt to hover just like his hummingbird friend, chattering with pride at each attempt. The two took turns, one hovering, then the other. The Junco couldn’t hold his hover for too long, but this sweet gesture was enough to warm my heart and fill me with happiness to have seen such a rare exchange.

This incredible gesture of love and support between two bird species was the very moment that ultimately inspired me to create my backyard bird sketches the following January. It helped me realize the importance of friendships and despite our differences, we can still have profound connections to others if we allow them. These two beautiful birds overcame the odds of survival and pushed and encouraged each other to grow beyond their natural limitations. They found their happiness and celebrated their unique abilities.

This is the tenth sketch in my Backyard Birds series, Hummingbird Happiness. Interested in purchasing a limited edition matted print of this graceful hummingbird? Click here to see print availability.

If you like this sketch, the story behind it, or something I’ve shared helped you discover something about yourself or others, I’d love to hear about it. Follow me on social media and subscribe to my posts to see what comes next in the Backyard Birds series!

Check out this short clip of me working on the Hummingbird Happiness drawing and the photos of the drawing in progress below.