After Mike Cardenaz nursed a hummingbird back to health four years ago, he likely never expected to see it again.
But the Grovetown man made a friend for life.
Cardenaz, who loves muscle cars and is a former SWAT officer, has flowers on his front porch that attract hummingbirds, 26nbc.com reported. Four years ago, one of those hummingbirds needed his help.
"Several of his feathers in his wings were broken off, and he couldn't take flight," Cardenaz told 26nbc.com.
So Cardenaz named the tiny creature Buzz, and gave it Pedialyte, sugar and a safe place to heal.
“I had to wait until he molted, and regrew new wings. That was 8 weeks. And he became a part of the family,” Cardenaz told the news station.
As Buzz grew stronger, he would fly around the yard. Then, Cardenaz said, Buzz took off for the winter.
“And he's been coming back for the last four years,” Cardenaz said.
Buzz was a little late this year, which had Cardenaz worried.
“I was kind of worried about him, and I was on the front porch, sweeping off the front porch, and I felt something zoom around my head,” he said. “I stood on the front porch, put my hand out, and he landed on my hand.”
How does he know it’s Buzz?
“Random hummingbirds don't land in your hand,” Cardenaz said.
But Buzz isn’t the only small creature Cardenaz has helped. Currently, he is nursing a chipmunk back to health.
“That's what people call me, Dr. Doolittle,” Cardenaz said.
