The Hummingbird and the Brass Twin
A Tiny Nest, a Timeless Ritual, and the Quiet Comfort of Renewal
“Gentle day’s flower – the hummingbird competes with the stillness of the air.”
- Chögyam Trungpa
Hanging from a beam on our back patio is a set of chimes, with two brass hummingbirds perched on a branch and five bells dangling below. For some reason, one of the brass hummingbirds is hollow. And for the past five years, a real-life Anna’s hummingbird has nested inside, her shimmering head camouflaged by the brass one above her.
Each spring, she returns, filling the tiny space with soft plant fibers and down, shaping her nest so precisely it seems made for this very purpose.
From our back door, I watch as she sits motionless, blending into her shelter. Occasionally, she leaves to feed, flitting back and forth, her iridescent feathers flashing in the light. She hovers near the feeder we’ve placed close by, drinking quickly before darting back to her eggs—no larger than jellybeans—to begin the quiet work of incubation.
The chimes ring softly in the breeze, a gentle accompaniment to the rhythm of her nesting. It feels like a small miracle, this annual return, as if she and her brass twin are partners in a secret, sacred cycle of renewal.
For the next six weeks or so, Bill and I will be consumed with watching and waiting—seeing the hatchlings emerge, be nurtured, and, finally, encouraged to fly. We limit our movements on the patio, careful not to disturb the young family. There’s an unspoken agreement: we pretend not to see her, and she tolerates our presence as long as we move slowly and quietly.
A very poor photo (magnified).
I had planned to tidy up the patio in preparation for the warmer months, but that can wait.
There is comfort in this annual routine, in knowing that despite the noise of the world, the cycles of creation continue with their own quiet urgency. Hummingbirds are thought to be messengers of joy, peace, and love—small, winged reminders that beauty endures, no matter what.
I’ll take it.
Have a great week.