Gadget Alert! Closest Hummingbird Views Ever

What do you get when you cross a welder’s mask with a hummingbird feeder? About the closest view of a hummingbird possible without actually climbing inside a flower. At least that’s how it looks from this video demonstration (YouTube).

Sure, with a bit of persistence and a porch full of feeders you can make hummers comfortable enough that they’ll sip from a feeder you’re holding. But this “Eye-to-Eye” mask [cleverly if illegibly rendered as an emoticon :–2<:, get it? ] puts the flower virtually inside your head.

The entire helmet is bright red to attract the attention of even the most unobservant hummingbirds, and  a yellow flower pattern leads to a feeding tube right between your eyes. The mask keeps you safe from any inadvertent stabs from off-target birds. According to one report you can feel the downdraft from the bird’s wings as it hovers before you.

The product sells for $80 from the ingenious inventors at heatstick.com. If you’ve ever worn a red baseball cap in the tropics and wished the hummingbirds that buzzed you would stick around a little longer, this might be the product for you. And the holidays are just around the corner.