Oh deary me...just when you thought birder clothing couldn't get any weirder! There's been a video going around of a "hummer helmet" that you can wear to attract hummingbirds. I'm all for birding innovation and trying to get closer to birds, but could we do it without looking like some crazed ax murder or nerd?
It's clever, but man does that mask look a little freakazoid to me. I'm suddenly inspired to write a birder horror flick and have someone sitting there benignly behind the mask, innocently attracting hummingbirds, then BAM start slashing nubile teenagers who insist on running into shadowy attics and dank basements when confronted with potential stabbing. If you would like to purchase this product you can order from the inventor www.hotstick.com...and yes, I promise that a hummer helmet from HotStick.com is safe for work and not something naughty.
This is not the first hummer head gear to come down the pike. Back in 2005, a Minnesota man developed his own hummingbird hat. He was featured on a Twin Cities news program and then made it on to Letterman and Animal Planet. When he was featured on local Twin Cities tv, he was shown in his backyard. Letterman's crew made him film at a Twin Cities nature center (with hardly any hummingbirds) and he was made to look like a crazy old bird watcher (not to say that he wasn't). But here's the original Twin Cities video of his hat (the hummingbird action starts at 0:58):
I don't think this one is for sale, but a result of his own invention. A red helmet with various small hummingbird feeders balanced on different sides...yeah, doesn't look silly at all. However, I was surprised to discover while searching for this video on YouTube that someone out there has taken this idea and tried to create a version of it and sells it on Etsy. You can get a double or a more economical single. Here's the video:
Who knew there were more than one hummingbird helmet hats out there--you have your choice! I suppose the face protection of the first mask would be desirable if you're worried about hummingbirds fighting and one inadvertantly impaling your eyeball. Or if you were worried about bees. If you prefer open air and want to live life on the edge you could try the helmet. Or you could forgo the headgear and just hold a feeder in your hands: