Hummers in the Morning

First, for all of you who were hoping for a blog post about those large vehicles…..sorry!  No, this post is about a much more delicate creature – the hummingbird!

Early Riser

These little birds range in size from only 3” to 5”!  And, they do get their name from the humming sound made by their wings beating at about 50 times per second!  That’s why I can’t get a clear view of this little guy’s wings! 

Breakfast

They are able to fly at about 34 mph – when I see them flitting to and fro off our back patio, I did think they were really zipping along, but I had no idea they were actually moving that fast!  They have the highest metabolism of any homoeothermic animal.  When they do rest, at night, they go into a state similar to hibernation.

Sipping

One thing I recently learned about hummingbirds is that ancient Aztecs often wore hummingbird talismans, because they felt they represented energy, vigor, and brought them skill at arms and warfare.

Sunrise Dining

I find that last bit of information very interesting.  I have noticed that they seem to be very territorial, and have watched what I call “hummer wars” as they do battle guarding the feeder that I keep fully stocked over the summer months when they are here.  Altho I know it’s serious business to them, I find their little chirps and squeaks too cute to find their battles anything but a source of entertainment!

Enjoy!

Sunset Rain, Sunrise & Hummers

A few days ago, we had a fabulous sunset rain (after all, it is the monsoon season here), a magnificent sunrise, and some glimpses at the hummingbirds that frequent both our back and front gardens.

 

Rosy Rain

We have wonderful sunsets, and we also have some great views of rain off in the distance, but this evening, it seemed we were to get a bit of a rarity – a combination of both!  As we sat on our back patio, we first saw the spots of rain – the areas where the clouds seem to be sort of coming apart from below and dropping toward the ground.  But, sunset was approaching and the clouds began to reflect some great color.

 

Rain in the Evening Light

As the sunset progressed, the underside of the clouds really became lighted in the most spectacular way.  The sky even seemed to glow behind the San Pedro Mountains that we look at to the north.

Monsoon Evening

As the light sort of evened out, we could see more areas of rain, or raining colors, as it seemed to us.  No rain for us, but the folks north of us certainly seemed to be getting wet!

Evening Encroaches

Finally, evening seemed to be slowly encroaching on us.  I really liked the differing colors of the sunset.  Yellow and orange where there was no rain, and pinkish purple in the rainclouds.  Nothing like New Mexico for fabulously diverse sunsets!

 

Sunrise

The next morning, I was up early enough to see an incredibly brilliant sunrise.  Some of the clouds seemed to be holding moisture, but nothing seemed to be actually falling down onto the ground.  Time to rise and shine, sleepyheads!

 

Breakfast Dining

As I sat outside, enjoying the sunrise, I realized I was sharing the morning with the hummingbirds that take up residence somewhere close to us over the summer.  This little guy seems oblivious to the sunrise – he’s just focused on breakfast!

 

Sipping

Here’s another little one, getting his (or her) morning meal!  One of the things that I find amusing is how territorial these little ones are – it’s extremely rare that we see more than one of them at the feeder at the same time.  They will sort of fight with each other, and then one will sip for a bit, then another skirmish, and another will sip, and so on until they’ve all eventually had their fill.  Wouldn’t it be easier to just get along?

Enjoy!