Hummingbirds!

Mysterious, elusive creatures still take me back to the easy excitement of youth and while some are mythical like unicorns; others, like hummingbirds, are very, very real…

I still get a huge thrill when a hummingbird zips by although my feeder is not frequented very often.  But during a recent visit to my friend Joyce’s house, I was delighted not only with her breathtaking property, house and view but by the activity in her feeders, especially the hummingbird one.  I had my camera with me and was able to get a few shots but it was tricky as they sure do move fast.

Some hummingbird trivia:

  • flap their wings 12-80 times per second
  • fly at speeds up to 15 m/s (54 km/h or 34 mph) 
  • like bees, can sense the sugar level of a flower, and only drink nectar if greater than 10% sugar
  • only birds that can fly backwards
  • average lifespan around 3-5 years although some can live as long as 10
  • typically 3-5 inches in length

1 Response

  1. Magnificent picture of hummingbirds Eden. Just lovely. You are so talented! And they are so beautiful 🙂
    Thanks for capturing their unique, delicate beauty.
    Susan

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