In my San Francisco apartment, a couple of hummingbird feeders hang from the windows, overlooking church steeples and the Golden Gate Bridge. Ginseng plants, a Christmas cactus, and monsteras line the window, adding a touch of green, while the feeders pop with their signature red with golden bullseye centers. Hummingbirds visit the Ye Olde Powell Watering Hole in San Francisco multiple times per day.

Some stay for a while, like little barflies, while others are only here for a quick drink. They take turns at the feeder, resting in the sour plum trees which line our city streets. On the more hectic days, we have dive-bombing incidents. Perhaps too much to drink. Most days, though, are diplomatic days between all. One day, during a particularly intense battle, the birds knocked a feeder clean off the third-story window. Lesson learned. Now, they’re a bit more careful. If I recall, nobody was 86’d. 

As the birds hover over and around the feeders, I can hear their wings vibrating against my old bay windows. Some are chatty, while others are quieter and more observant. In the evenings, they visit the feeders attached to the other room, watching me and my dog, Max, as we sit on the couch reading or watching TV. They are just as interested in me, as I am in them.

Occasionally, a younger one will bury his beak entirely in the feeder, gulping down nectar while watching me watch him. I think to myself, “Now that’s trust.” A mixture of one part baker’s sugar to four parts water is just the trick. And when the feeders run dry without my noticing, they flutter to the windows, chirping at me with their little hummingbird calls. I happily wash out their feeders from the previous traffic, and refill them with the new goods when needed. The visits return, and the anxiety over empty feeders subside.

I post these bird events on my Instagram for all human friends and family to see. I watch them, and they watch me. Oh! What a sight it is to see! We get “bird-o-vision,” and they get “human-o-vision”. There is truly something for everybody.

The Ye Olde Powell Watering Hole is open 7 days per week, sun up to sun down. Tell your feathered friends all about it!

– Keri Powell