You think that little creature is a hummer? Put your glasses on it and make sure. It just COULD be a hummingbird spy plane. If so, it is taking pictures or listening to your every word. Think you are safe from surveillance in your back yard? Think again. The hummingbird spy planes are now a reality.
The Pentagon shelled out some four million dollars about five years ago for a spy plane that looks like a bird. Aero-Vironment took on the project and came up with the "hummingbird". It is propelled by its wings and can fly at 11 mph. (A very slow hummingbird!). It has a tiny video camera mounted in it's underside. It can fly upward, downward and backward like a real hummer. It can rotate in the air. It can hover and even perch on a windowsill. Most importantly, it can take your picture and fly away with it, to put on Facebook or wherever. It holds great possibilities for war situations, with the secret information it can glean. Good news. The bad news is that the enemy will then shoot every bird they see out of the skies.
Can this little flying robot invade our privacy? Most certainly, if there is any room. Privacy is already a bit crowded.
Just felt, as a birder, you should know about this one. It is a "lifer" if you spot one. Get a photo to prove you saw it. You might even take an expensive speciman with your shotgun. As of right now there is no closed season or limit on these four million dollar birds. They are rather tasteless, however.
