The first sighting was made by my sister visiting from Texas. “Look!” She exclaimed as she pointed toward the porch. Looking up, we discovered within eyeshot a tiny hummingbird flitting among my red potted flowers.
It wasn’t until I mounted a feeder gifted by a neighbor that multiple daily visits became the norm. It was migration season.
My new winged friends are quirky.
- Only 2.5 inches long and with feet that can neither help them walk or hop, they go the farthest of any bird in proportion to their body length. They travel several thousands of miles between breeding grounds and winter habitats.
- They visit 1,000 flowers each day.
- They beat their wings about 50 times per second.
- Their wings can propel them forward, backward, and upside down. Their hearts beat up to 1260 times per minute.
- They must stay in an almost constant state of motion to survive. They lay the smallest eggs in the world.
- They have incredible vision.
A flock of hummers is called a charm. As I watched them over my balcony breakfast every morning I saw in these little wonders fragility…vulnerability… resilience…tenacity…and even a spot of love.
Tiny sparkling gems. Precious gifts. While they are now making their way south for the winter, they will always be charming indeed.
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