For months I’ve been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Spring, thanks to a Christmas present I received.

Santa brought me a hummingbird feeder. I don’t pretend to be a birdwatcher and don’t have even 1 percent of the knowledge of our feathered friends that Barry Reed, our Saturday outdoor columnist and a former classmate, does. But I have developed an affection for hummingbirds.

For years I’ve marveled at photos individuals have taken of these flying pixies, but had seen them live only rarely in passing.

We hung some hanging plants on the porch last year and, low and behold, a single bird began making daily visits.

What a wonder of nature these little fellas are. They whiz with precision to targeted plants or feeders and I learned they can survive for several years despite their seemingly fragile size.

What really made me want a feeder was what happened last year. While sitting on the porch, a hummingbird approached and hovered in front of me for a good 15 seconds, seeming to look me in the eyes. How adorable!

I brought up the topic of hummingbirds numerous times after that and was gifted a hummingbird feeder. I would never say I liked one gift above another, but certainly this was among the all-time favorites.

I referred to the Farmers Almanac and a few other sources and was told the best time to hang a hummingbird feeder is mid-April. I’ve been reading what to put into the feeder and how to maintain it and at long last, the time for placement is drawing near.

I’ve also been doing a little bit of research about hummingbirds. Did you know hummingbirds are the smallest known and smallest living avian theropod dinosau?

I don’t know much about dinosaurs, even though I saw the “Jurassic” movies. I consult with my grandsons when I want information about them.

But does that mean the hummingbird might have been around the same times as the humongous tyrannosaurus rex and still survived? It’s just one more fascinating information facet about this fascinating bird.

I’m not a bird lover per se. I enjoy seeing birds at a distance but don’t like getting attacked by any - as I have numerous times including a robin once - or continually wiping their doo off the swimming pool. I don’t hate them, either. I used to have bird feeders in the yard before we had a pool and we still do have a bird bath.

Hummingbirds, though, are different. They’re pretty, intriguing and incredibly graceful. And, despite their small size they’ve survived so many thousands of years is nothing less than a natural miracle.

Sure I like Spring because of watching my grandsons play baseball and compete in track.

But this Spring is a little more special thanks to the hummingbird feeder. Only time will tell if the feeder will be an attraction. I can only hope.

And, who knows, I might even get the opportunity to take the photos I’ve marveled which were always taken by someone else.