I’m lucky enough to live in a place where I can walk to and from lunch nearly every day, but most of my routes are along roads with many cars so I don’t get away from the noise of the day. Today, on the way to lunch, I heard a little peep to my left, and I saw this tiny ball of feathers in the road, less than an inch tall. It was exactly where the cars that turn too tight would soon be driving, and I realized it might die while I was walking by due to the oncoming vehicles.
I valiantly went where the traffic would soon be (I could see the cars about 1/2 block away) and made a scoop out of my newspaper, dipping it under the end the long beak stuck out of, and the little guy buzzed up over the paper and landed squarely on my left thumb. And stayed there, peeping away, sitting perched on my thumb like a trained parakeet. But so small! I could feel the tiny claws gripping my skin.
This, I realized, is really cool - either a baby or a very small species of hummingbird has now hitched a ride for my lunch walk. A moment later I realized I didn’t have a clue what to do with the iridescent fellow, as he was probably hungry and weak - I have never heard of domesticated hummingbirds, and figure they’re so small they just run on instinct all day.
As I walked, the Cheeping Green Fluffball (CGF) would occasionally flap its wings weakly, and at one point fluffed up, took great care and aimed a tiny white turd at my ring finger:eek:. After about a block CGF found enough energy to fly slowly over a stoplight, turned right and found a perch on a stucco wall at about my chest level. This, however, was at the busiest street corner in town, and I wasn’t going to leave CGF to find his way through the traffic. Luckily, Fluffy was happy to step on my finger when I offered it 
!
Another block, and I’m almost at a deli where I know the owners - they would love my little hitchhiker, and we could probably feed it something. But it was not to be - as I approached the deli CGF took off again, buzzed around in circles and found a perch in a tree thick with yellow blooming somethings.
I’ve been all wrapped up in both work and play (music), so it’s been rare lately when I’ve noticed anything really unique in the natural world around me. CGF may have lived another hour or may still be going, but I sure feel neat for having this mundane, pointless* moment with nature. * I just had to share.