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Terry Masear

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June 2015

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Terry Masear I'm currently revising the first manuscript I wrote, entitled "Circle of Bright Light," about an unusual and mysterious experience I had with our Abys…moreI'm currently revising the first manuscript I wrote, entitled "Circle of Bright Light," about an unusual and mysterious experience I had with our Abyssinian cats just before I began rehabbing hummingbirds. Like "Fastest Things on Wings," the cat book is a nonfiction story that encompasses both the factual and the magical in our experiences with other species. (less)

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Can you suggest any discussion questions for the book? Our book club is discussing this on December 14th at our holiday book club get-together. One of our members strongly suggested your book as it was so moving and delightful. As the leader of this group, I want to make sure that I do justice to the book and help the discussion of the work.

Terry Masear Thank you for choosing Fastest Things on Wings for your discussion. I have been giving talks at libraries, garden clubs, and birding events around th…more Thank you for choosing Fastest Things on Wings for your discussion. I have been giving talks at libraries, garden clubs, and birding events around the country for the past two years. The following points, described in the book, have proven the most fascinating to audiences.
1) Female hummingbirds construct their nests with spider silk, which provides unrivaled elasticity to accommodate fast-maturing chicks while keeping them tightly contained and insulated. Nesting mothers also rely on a creative mix of organic and synthetic material that includes grass, twigs, moss, bark, seed tassels, pet and human hair, downy feathers from other birds, and laundry lint from dryer vents. Since females select materials that will match the feathers of their future chicks, a nest’s species can be identified before the eggs hatch. But how can nesting females (especially first year mothers) know what color their chicks will become? Color choices may be instinctive or triggered by the iridescent hues of the males that engage in vivid and musical dive displays when courting females during the spring breeding season. Either way, the seamless blend between nests and the chicks they conceal results in flawlessly camouflaged structures that protect young hummingbirds from predators until they are strong enough to fly.
2) Nearly all hummingbird nests have two chicks: a female and a male. By two weeks of age nestlings exhibit differences in coloration on the throat and tail feathers that reveal gender differences. In over ninety percent of nests that come into rescue, the oldest chick is a female and the youngest, which typically hatches one to two days later, is a male; the remaining nests contain twin females. By hatching first, the older and more developed female holds advantages that lead to a higher chance of survival. Of all the insights gained on the front lines of hummingbird rescue, our discovery that nature has determined the oldest sibling must be female in order to maximize the species’ breeding population and ensure its survival has been the most astonishing breakthrough.
3) Wherever breeding territories overlap, hummingbird species have been known to hybridize. Marathon fliers like the rufous, which weigh three and a half grams, migrate up to seven thousand miles (round trip) from Mexico to their northern nesting grounds in Canada and Alaska. Over the past decade, however, Southern California rehabbers have noticed Allen’s females breeding with migrating rufous males that stop over to take advantage of abundant sugar feeders. Each year rescue facilities receive a growing number of young males with predominantly rust-colored feathers on their backs, which are characteristic of rufous. These striking orange juveniles, who come into rehab as fledglings, do not look like traditional Allen’s, but more closely resemble rufous in appearance and in their exceedingly pugnacious behavior. Although Allen’s migrated from the Channel Islands to the mainland in the middle of last century, few were seen in rescue until the 1990s. Since then the population has exploded so exponentially that today Allen’s and their hybrid version outnumber Anna’s, the original Southern California species, by three to one.
The unfolding phenomenon of hybridization between Allen’s and rufous in Southern California presents an opportunity to witness evolution in action, wherein two species interbreed to create a new and more adaptable variety (perhaps in response to climate and/or environmental changes).
These phenomena have gone unrecognized by scientists and bird experts as they could be discovered only by rehabbers who have received hundreds of rescued nests directly from their natural environment. Such remarkable insights make the lives of hummingbirds appear even more mysterious and complex.
But science aside, what is it about hummingbirds that speaks so powerfully to the human spirit? The book cites numerous examples of callers relating stories about hummingbirds that have descended as spirits from beyond to deliver messages of hope and love. Of course most scientists will argue such perceptions are the product of overactive imaginations. But given the limited understanding experts have of hummingbirds' biological realities, how can they possibly glean secrets that may filter through from another dimension?
In 2017, Southern California rehabbers rescued 1500 orphaned and injured hummingbirds. As Americans increasingly move to metropolitan centers and new challenges arise, we remain committed to educating residents about the importance of respect for urban wildlife and the need to preserve hummingbird populations for everyone to admire. (less)

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Average rating: 4.29 · 802 ratings · 165 reviews · 3 distinct works • Similar authors

	Fastest Things on Wings: Rescuing Hummingbirds in Hollywood 4.29 avg rating — 796 ratings — published 2015 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Connecting with Enchanting Cats 4.33 avg rating — 6 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	UCLA Academic Publishing: American Language Center 916 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Terry Masear's Blog

Bird Feed Webcam

Please join the Rockport Hummingbird Festival's live webcam and chat on September 10th and 17th for a chance to view migrating ruby-throated hummingbirds preparing to make their annual 500 mile nonstop flight over the Gulf of Mexico. Webcams will show thousands of these miniature marvels bulking up for their seventeen hour overnight flight to Mexico for the winter.
Join the live chat on Rockport's Read more of this blog post »

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Published on August 31, 2015 17:09

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Terry Masear is currently reading

Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel

by Carl Safina (Goodreads Author)

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Jul 31, 2015 01:02PM

Quotes by Terry Masear (?)

“hawk being chased by a crow that was being tailed by a mockingbird, and, to her astonishment, a determined hummingbird brought up the rear like a border collie herding the whole bunch out of his territory. Hummingbirds’ inclination to take on creatures one hundred times their size is the key to their survival. Without their oversize aggression, these mini-flyweights would not stand a chance”
― Terry Masear, Fastest Things on Wings: Rescuing Hummingbirds in Hollywood

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“I love mockingbirds, but I cannot rehab them because they imprint, or bond, or whatever you choose to call it. Young ravens and crows are worse. In their quest for attention and affection, they are akin to domestic dogs. And when you placate young wild animals with a tender human touch, it changes them forever. So rehabbers have to reject the overtures of creatures who attempt to bond, to ensure they retain their wild nature. Some people are good at this. I am not. I have too much of what John Keats called negative capability as well as a close corollary, empathy. When birds arrive at my door lost, broken, and terrified, the distinctions between us fall away, and they are no longer wild animals separate from my humanity. Instead, I am right there with them, sharing their troubles, fear, and pain. I see myself in them and want to protect, love, and reassure them.”
― Terry Masear, Fastest Things on Wings: Rescuing Hummingbirds in Hollywood

tags: bonding, humanity, rehabbers, wild-animals

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“When going about their daily rituals of feeding and sparring, hummingbirds can fly backwards, sideways, and upside down. Because they love fast-moving food, this diversity of motion is necessary for catching fruit flies that have perfected their own quick-escape strategies. Equally important, hummingbirds' aerial gymnastics are crucial for them to be able to feed on flowers swaying unpredictably in the wind.”
― Terry Masear, Fastest Things on Wings: Rescuing Hummingbirds in Hollywood

tags: nature

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