Beyond Layers II

Inspirational thoughts and projects hosted by Kim Klassen

Day Three~ Week Two

         

Day three centered around describing yourself in six words.  Kim's referral to Smith Mag detailed the ideas in back of the 6 Word Memoir.  There were lots of clever little ditties, mine, of course mostly a reflection of nature around me.   I did come up with a few quick ones:

Simple at heart, right from the start

Magic wings, a heart that sings

Organizing my dreams into wonderful things

Starting Monday, oh no! not again!

  

We were then asked to take or find a photo that helps describe our 6 Word Memoir and then to consider one word as the underlying theme of the 6 Word Memoir.

Magic wings, a heart that sings ~6 Word Memoir

Hummingbirds bring magic to my garden. Our area of California is host to the resident Anna's so we have hummingibrds year round. During the spring fall migration, we are graced with the feisty activity of the Rufous-rowdy little devils-as well as the beautiful Calliope (the smallest bird species in North America). The Black Chin is a summer resident. I never tire of their presence. They help me take pause as I work amongst the flowers--such little jewels flashing their iridescence in the sunlight on those magic wings.



And my second posting:

it's a big world out there ~ six words

In continuation of the six words challenge, this baby Honker was just hours old, all alone. It took us no time at all however, to see that this little one had ambitions beyond the confines of an incubator. I thought I'd include a second shot for the one word challenge. Its determination won it a spot out under the heat lamp with three other newbies even though he was still wet behind the ears!

One of the things I look forward to each spring is visiting my friend Loretta where she tends the Rancho Esquon egg salvation program. Primarily set up to rescue Mallard eggs that would be lost to ag equipment in the rice fields, she also receives other eggs. Someone recently brought in a huge number of Canada Goose eggs from nests that were in jeopardy from rising lake levels. We could hear beeping when she pulled out the egg frames to check the progress. This little fella had hatched and was stuck in the back. When she moved it to a safer location so it could finish drying off, it was determined to find a way out of the incubator.  

I had one last photo that I worked for this project but didn't post out to the group.  I had moved on to Day 4 and combined the one word thought with the light and focus concept of that day.

on magic wings ~ the jewels of my garden

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Hummingbirds

I don't recall exactly when these flying jewels captured my heart.  I remember many times, watching in awe, as they would hover over a flower, sipping nectar, or chase a rival out of their feeding territory.  The sound of those magic wings was the lure and eventually I put up one feeder, then two around the yard.   As the number of feeders grew, so did my desire to capture the hummingbirds in flight.  Their population around the yard during spring and fall migration have given me ample opportunity to witness their activity through my lens.  (Click on any picture to view larger)



male Anna's Hummingbird ~ Calypte anna

 If you've ever witnessed the boisterous behavior of Hummingbirds, it's hard to imagine the tenacity of a bird with an average weight of less than an ounce and overall measurement of only 3" to 4".  


 

female Anna's Hummingbird ~ Calypte anna

Hummingbirds in flight are a truly magical thing.  They have the distinct ability to fly forward, backward, and even upside down briefly.  They can also hover in place.  The bones in Hummingbirds are permanently fixed except at the shoulder where they can move in all directions.  While they hover, the wings move in a figure 8 pattern.  The wings can beat upwards of 80 plus times per second depending on the species.



Immature male Anna's Hummingbird ~ Calypte anna




female Rufous Hummingbird ~ Selasphorus rufus



female Anna's Hummingbird ~ Calypte anna

Female Rufous Hummingbird ~ Selasphorus rufus



Due to their high metabolism, Hummingbirds need to refurbish their energy supply frequently, generally at the rate of about once every 10 minutes.  Flower nectar is one of their primary sources of refueling.

Sugar water feeders also offer a source of enegy. The color red on a feeder is a particular lure for the Hummingbird and helps them identify a feeding source from a distance. 

Sugar water supplements should be mixed at the rate of 1 part sugar to 4 parts water.  Feeders should be cleaned and changed once a week to make sure that the mixture does not spoil.

Hummingbirds also feed on small insects such as aphid which satisfy the need for protein in their diet.

female Rufous Hummingbird ~ Selasphorus rufus



male Calliope Hummingbird ~ Stellula calliope

Nothing stands out as brightly in the garden as the flash of iridescent color on the throat and heads of the male Hummingbirds.  While the Anna's has a fully colored gorget (throat) and head, the Rufous has coloration only on the gorget.  The Black Chin has an iridescent collar around his neck which reflects a beautiful lavender purple in the sunlight.  The small Calliope has purple streaking (called a beard) of iridescence on his throat.

male Anna's Hummingbird ~ Calypte anna



male Rufous Hummingbird ~ Selasphorus rufus

male Black Chin Hummingbird ~ Archilochus alexandri



male Calliope Hummingbird ~ Stellula calliope



This will be the first in a series of blogs on these little powerhouses.  Until next time, may you be blessed with the presence of magic wings whereever you are.

 



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