First Flight: A Mother Hummingbird's Story

First Flight: A Mother Hummingbird’s Story. DVD. 45 min. Concept Images. 2009. ISBN 978-0-615-29118-5. $19.95. 
Gr 7 Up–Filmmakers spent three years documenting the life of a Black-chinned Hummingbird who had built a nest on a clothesline in the backyard of their Las Vegas home. The female narrator’s soft, accented voice is complemented by a delightful musical soundtrack. Outstanding photographic techniques show the life cycle of this diminutive bird, named Honey by the filmmakers. Divided into sections, the film follows Honey as she builds the nest, secures it with spider webs, lays two eggs, waits for them to hatch, feeds the babies, and encourages them to take flight approximately three weeks after birth. The close-up photography is amazing and a delight to watch. The second half of the program, a “making of” the documentary segment, will enlighten film students and photographers. A range of grade levels can utilize this film, and it will be especially useful in science classes. This documentary is joyous and viewers will be pleased that they were “invited into the hummingbird world.”–Patricia Ann Owens, Wabash Valley College, Mt. Carmel, IL