A Moment of Nature in the Midst of It All

By Eric Richardson
Published: Friday, April 04, 2008, at 06:40PM

Pershing Square Tree Eric Richardson [Flickr]

A tree in Pershing Square, on a branch of which sits a hummingbird, far too small for my camera to catch.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Walking through Pershing Square just minutes ago, I caught a flit out of the corner of my eye. A tiny object in motion, alternately hovering in space and hitting bursts of motion.

I stopped, and proceeded to spend the next five minutes standing in the middle of one of the least inviting parks I’ve seen, utterly captivated to watch a hummingbird moving about the grass.

As is typically the case, this happened at a time when I didn’t have my camera. I pulled out my phone, hoping in vain that I could catch a moment when the dark colored bird passed across the light-colored concrete, leaving a speck of contrast that I could point to and say, “See that? It’s a hummingbird!”

I found myself wondering if the hummingbird made its home in the park, and how such a little bird could possibly have navigated the big buildings of Downtown to find itself at a patch with plants and open space. If you happen across the park sometime soon and find me sitting there with camera in hand, that’s the question I’ll probably be looking to answer.



Comments

1
Dennis Smith writes:

Pershing Square is often visited by hummingbirds, butterflies as well as an occasional duck found in the basin of the fountain. However, I think the ducks have found a more secure if temporary sanctuary in the pond that has formed on the site of the old Serra State Building at First & Broadway. Hummingbirds often visit my perch above Fifth & Hill, probably attracted by the flowers growing on the fire escape. However, most spectacular is the sighting of a red tailed hawk, circling over Pershing Square, which viewed from up here on the 11th floor, is the closest I’ll ever get to going eye to eye with a raptor while in flight.

# on Apr.04.2008 AT 09:09 PM
2
dawna writes:

saw this post and had to share a hummingbird photo. i’ve never really been a bird person! but…i grow stuff in window boxes on a ledge, and I have one of downtown’s biggest ficus trees nearly inside my loft (can’t get the city to come trim!!!) so, i have inadvertently become a watcher of birds. one of the flowers in my window box, as in this shot, is calibrachoa, which evidently, is like hummingbird crack. they are crazy for it, and they tell their friends. i can attest that there are A LOT of hummingbirds downtown. took this photo from about 3 feet away, inside my loft. http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x137/dawnanolan/hummingbird/1000beatsofahummingbirdsheart.jpg

# on Apr.05.2008 AT 02:46 PM
3
Eric Richardson writes:

dawna: That’s a fun shot, and definitely some good company for your windowbox to keep.

# on Apr.05.2008 AT 03:18 PM
4
Christian MArtinez writes:

As a long time garden lover and flower fanatic, I think we could do so much better in our Downtown environment as to ‘greening’. There are a number of plants that are called “butterfly” Bushes/plants that would attract loads of butterflies and huummingbirds. They can be planted anywhere.Low water. We need to think green and in color.

Christian Martinez Publisher DTLAL Magazine

# on Apr.11.2008 AT 11:04 AM

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