During their downtime, firefighters at Arizona’s Northwest Fire District Station 338 might normally unwind by shooting hoops in the station house’s rec area. But the sound of bouncing basketballs and squeaking sneakers has recently fallen silent.
And for
the sweetest reason.
A few weeks back, firefighters arrived to find an unexpected new addition to their basketball hoop — a tiny nest perched at the base of the net. There, too, was the little hummingbird who built it.
The placement of the nest makes it impossible to play basketball without disturbing it, but the crew at the station doesn’t mind ceding it to the bird and her future family.
“Our firefighters find this new addition exciting to observe,” Anne-Marie Braswell, spokesperson for the fire district, told The Dodo. “It’s an easy decision to take a break from basketball, one they all can agree on.”
Though the hummingbird may not have realized her choice of nesting spots would draw the attention of so many fawning onlookers, it hasn’t stopped her from putting the nest to use.
Not long after noticing the nest, firefighters found a tiny egg inside it.
Fortunately, the stationhouse also has a gym, which has not (yet) been made a hummingbird nursery.
But in their downtime at the station, firefighters are happy that bird-watching is now an option, too.
“It’s a source of enjoyment,” Braswell said.
One day, the hummingbird and her chicks will leave the station behind. Until then, firefighters are happy to give them the space they need.
“Sometimes protecting life looks a little different,” the fire station wrote. “We’ll get back to the game later!”
