hummingbird in my face!

Female ruby-throated humming bird

I was sitting outside crocheting yesterday because the light was better for these tired old eyes of mine. I put my chair close to my humming bird feeder on purpose hoping to see a humming bird.

Well, I saw one!  Very up close and personal!  Maybe 6 inches from my nose!  She was checking me out I think because of my orange shirt.  She hovered there for a few seconds then went to the feeder but just hovered there for a bit still looking at me!  Oh, how I wish I had had a camera!  She finally ate her fill at the feeder and came back one last time to check me out.

She was a ruby throat (ruby throated info) which is all we get here in Michigan!  I am always thrilled to catch a glimpse of one but this was above my expectations.  I am going to go sit in the same chair today and try to figure out a way to take a pic.

Male, juvenile and female brown-headed cowbird

Also interesting yesterday was my second sighting of a juvenile brown-headed cowbird among a group of sparrows.  I had sighted him a week or so ago with probably the same group of sparrow while mama sparrow was helping them learn to feed themselves.  I know that cowbirds lay their eggs in other species of birds nest and let them raise them but my BIG question is, how does a cowbird figure out he is a cowbird and not just the biggest sibling to 3 or 4 sparrows?

Doing a little research I find that cowbirds are threatening the existence of some of the song birds.  Brown-headed cowbirds are not very nice birds at all.