A hummingbird flew into class today.
Kinda made me realize why humans are apex predators, as that hummingbird wasn't so bright. It couldn't find its way outside! Even when we turned off the lights and closed the curtains, it couldn't find its way to the door. It would fly in the general vicinity but it wouldn't drop low and go out the door.
It stayed in the room for about an hour. Once in awhile it would land on something up near the ceiling, but only for a moment or so. Then it would be flying and squeaking again.
And trying to feed from the motion detector probably didn't yield the best meal.
When class ended I closed and locked the door and went to the staff lounge. When I came back for the next period the bird had given up; it was on the floor, too tired to fly anymore. It even hid under a shelf! I don't know my students' names yet, but one girl went over and gently picked it up--it was too tired to resist. She took it outside and placed it well into a planted area where it would be safe until it rested enough to fly again.
All in all it was a fun experience, certainly better than when a full-sized bird or a wasp flies in.
A panicked wild bird indoors is never a good thing. A friend told me a story about her sister who had a living room that looked like it belonged in a showcase - white carpet, glass-topped coffee table, white leather sofa, chrome accents, white brick fireplace - very sleek and clean. She was visiting her sister one summer day when a noise came from the fireplace. When her sister opened it to investigate, a big sooty duck came flapping into the living room. They had to prop the front door open and try to herd the duck out. Like your hummingbird, it had a devil of a time finding the escape route. It left a trail of ashes and duck droppings. She said it looked really big when she was trapped in a room with it.
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