Over the last ten years my wife and I have spent literally thousands of hours admiring the colourful hummingbirds of Costa Rica.

We had ten one-gallon feeders on the terrace of our log home in the mountains of Santa Maria de Dota and, at any one time we had 40-60 different hummingbirds feeding, it was a magical experience that we will never forget.…

I tell you this to show you that we’ve spent a lot of time watching hummers and generally know what’s normal behaviour and what’s not.

On Thursday morning whilst enjoying our breakfast on the terrace of our Santa Ana apartment, one of our favorite hummers ‘Rocky’ came flying within 18 inches of my face and hovered there for 5-10 seconds.

Rocky had never, ever done this before.

Rocky returned to the feeder and a minute later he came back and he was looking directly at me and not at my wife who’s a lot better to look at than I am.

This was not normal behaviour for Rocky or any other hummingbird that we have observed over the years.

My wife and I glanced at each other and we both sensed that my father in Scotland who had been unwell for a few months was looking at me through the eyes of the hummer and was saying goodbye to me so, I immediately booked my flights back to Scotland….

Although he could not longer speak by this time, I was able to speak briefly to him one last time on the telephone:

“I’m on my way Dad, if you can hold on until I get there, that would be great but, if you have to go, that’s fine too! You know I love you and I totally understand!”

Unfortunately for me Dad died peacefully while I was on the flight from San José to Madrid so, if you still can, please give your Mum & Dad – and your kids – a big, long hug and an extra kiss and tell them you love them because none of us know exactly how much time we, or they have left and …

People commiserate with me saying that I have “lost” my father and I replied saying that: “Millions of people have never know their fathers, “I have not ‘lost’ mine, after 56 years of being my Dad, it was just his time to leave and return to his new home with his wife, my Mum who died in 2008.”

The next time you see a hummingbird, before you look away, stop for a second, watch, listen and think to make sure it’s not trying to send you an important message from a loved one.

Written by Scott Oliver, author of 1: How To Buy Costa Rica Real Estate Without Losing Your Camisa, 2: Costa Rica’s Guide To Making Money Offshore and 3. ¿Cómo Comprar Bienes Raíces en Costa Rica, Sin Perder Su Camisa?

Scott Oliver's Four Books

Scott Oliver’s Four Books.

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