A recently released 20-minute video has been taking the hummingbird world by storm. "The Bird in My Backyard" follows citizen scientist Eric Pittman as he films and photographs the Anna’s hummingbirds that nest in his backyard in Victoria, British Columbia. This visually stunning documentary deserves to be seen on your big screen TV.
“Being able to show the impact that someone can have just from keeping an eye on their backyard is really cool to me,” says Ryan Wilkes, who produced, directed, and edited the film. It has already been featured in several international film festivals and won in its category at both the Jackson Wild Media awards and the Banff Mountain Film Festival.
A Fortunate Collaboration
“The Bird in My Backyard" was born out of Eric and Ryan’s passion for hummingbirds, but it came about by fortuitous circumstance.
Ryan’s diverse background, which includes a PhD in Bioengineering, has given him a perspective that drives him to develop compelling conservation films. His fascination with hummingbirds had been gaining momentum when he moved to Victoria in 2022.
A colleague told him he should meet Eric, a guy who was also devoted to hummingbirds. It turns out Eric had been filming hummingbird nests in his backyard for some 14 years and has sold video footage to outlets around the world. Eric is currently a window salesman, which gives him the freedom to film when he pleases. His eclectic history includes flying helicopters, earning a Guinness World Record for the largest underwater press conference, and receiving a Medal of Bravery for helping to save a family from a burning vehicle.
After spending time photographing hummingbirds with Eric, Ryan knew his story could make a unique and inspiring documentary. Together Ryan and Eric filmed from January until May of 2024, closely documenting five nests, two of which are featured in "The Bird in my Backyard."
Says Ryan: “One of the main messages is that you don’t have to go very far to experience something magical in nature and to make new discoveries…we can all do this and find something that moves us.”
The International Hummingbird Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt charitable organization dedicated to educating people about hummingbirds and working internationally to protect them.
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