Find Your Wings

A Bird's Life

I am not meaning to brag, but we worked hard to get this far. Counting the 'genius', because I gave him that nickname for very good reason. We had precious little alternative in our way of life, which was made up by helping the hummers along in their work. Since day one, right after we were found by the troup, there was one thing I hated. I was scared of Emerald but when he began to set the ground rules, it only confused me. Flitter was there, with her wings over us, as Emerald basically judged us. He assumed that we would leave anyway as soon as I was healed up. I suffered an almost bent leg after trying to help Molt, but ultimately failed at that attempt. I couldn't leap. At least I couldn't for a whole season. But then, we ... just stayed there. Ever since.

Of course, Emerald hated me for a while and I knew why. I was nothing but trouble at first, not taking his regulations very kindly. Molt, the timid one, was praised while I was talked down to. Granted, these birds knew a thing or two about discipline. I sure deserved all of it. My antennae were pinched in his long thorn-like beak. He'd peck at me and shove me away when I wasn't up to par on bad days. Hence the rule, when eggs were laid and nests were being made, I had to stay away unless told otherwise.

I did break rules. If they were there, it had to mean that something was hidden from me. I was one ... stupid nymph. I was small, I didn't know how to fly yet and Emerald towered over me as if he wanted to eat me. I did believe he could have.

If you thought hummers only drank nectar, oh no.... Yes, nectar was a daily energy drink for them but they did occasionally eat other insects. Usually small gnats, mind you, who would talk you into oblivion if you got too close.

When I figured that out, I was really shocked. What did I expect from birds...? We were rescued by birds. It was unheard of. So that little tid bit made me change my rebellious attitude. I remember Emerald's words exactly.

"Remember, little Hopper, you are one of the fortunate kin to be able to share the same tree with us.
But don't you worry. You will make a fine flyer soon. I can tell.
Stay close and you will earn your own title."
What was a title? Even back then I kind of figured out how things were done. Living with a group of freeloaders, it was every grasshopper for himself or ... you starve. There was no in-between. Here, there were standards.

In flocks, there was the Primus Inter Pares. (As in the first among equals and who had first dibs in the spring. I'll save you the details.)

Then there was the Captain. (Who also hated me. Emerald cut me some slack with this guy. He was responsible for the safety of the flock.)

The Soldiers. (Any full grown male hummer in the group. Worked under the captain and protected all the females and their babies.)

Lastly, there were the Nurses (or more importantly, the mothers and the sisters who babysat the chicks when they fledged.) Flitter was in this category and wow, was she good at it. Molt was counted as a nurse simply because he taught the fledglings and kept them patient.

If Emerald trusted me that much to promote me to soldier status then I must have been doing something right. I may have been smaller than the whole lot, but I was mean and I had a good way of using it. It used to be fun to me. Hummers were mean, in a different way. They had a way to keep undesirables away from disturbing their meals and nesting. Those thorns for beaks really did hurt, from my experience.

Things could have been worse. Way worse. But now this was our life.
Just two loners out in the world, that almost got killed by poison and snakes... but now instead of being chased by birds, we were living with them. Lucky maggots we were.
Of course, this wasn't the end.