Notice the hummer spearing another in the head, amazingly I have never seen a hummer seriously hurt from the sparring although I imagine they could be. I certainly hear the sound of their airborne impacts, and see the missing and displaced feathers.
This guy is waiting to spear the guy from above who is about to attack him! Hummingbirds move incredibly quickly, but when they are in attack mode they move at warp-speed.
You can see evidence of the airborne impacts in the ruffled feathers.
Some seem disproportionately harassed.
Others position themselves for advantangeous attack!
The majority though avoid the fray and remain untouched. I suspect their aerial evasion techniques are even more evolved than their attack skills. They are simply phenomonal fliers.
This is of course how I prefer to see the hummers! Peaceful and radiant.
Cheers to you from the occasionally bickersome, but always beautiful, Holler Hummers~
Year: 2014
Corvids & Congressmen~
Blue Jays (California Coastal Scrub Jays) are smart birds and they are handsome birds, and I get the feeling they know both these things about themselves, and even more I get the feeling they are none too impressed with us humans. It’s kinda the way they look at us (see above) and scold us (see below). I always suspect they are correct when they scold me as I surely am doing something annoying.
There is at least one human being who I am certain is smarter than a Blue Jay and that is Mark Twain. So check out what he had to say on the subject…..
“You may call a jay a bird. Well, so he is, in a measure – because he’s got feathers on him, and don’t belong to no church, perhaps; but otherwise he is just as much a human as you be. And I’ll tell you for why. A jay’s gifts, and instincts, and feelings, and interests, cover the whole ground. A jay hasn’t got any more principle than a congressman.”
“A jay will lie, a jay will steal, a jay will deceive, a jay will betray; and four times out of five, a jay will go back on his solemnest promise. The sacredness of an obligation is a thing which you can’t cram into no bluejay’s head. Now, on top of all this, there’s another thing; a jay can outswear any gentleman in the mines….”
“And there’s yet another thing; in the one little particular of scolding – just good, clean, out-and-out scolding – a bluejay can lay over anything, human or divine. Yes, sir, a jay is everything that a man is.”
“A jay can cry, a jay can laugh, a jay can feel shame, a jay can reason and plan and discuss, a jay likes gossip and scandal, a jay has got a sense of humor, a jay knows when he is an ass just as well as you do – maybe better.”
Of course Twain is right, especially about congressmen, but about Blue Jays too. They are corvids and are highly intelligent with excellent memories and the ability to plan for the future, a trait once thought only primates were capable of. Jays like to hide food and objects for the future in caches and can remember the location of up to 200 of these caches. Since I regularly cannot locate my keys or glasses, I find this ability impressive.
Cheers to you from California’s bossy, sometimes dishonest Blue Jays, who are probably more intelligent than your average congressman~
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San Diego County Native Wildflowers~
Argemone or Prickly Poppy
Elfin Mariposal Lily
California Coastal Sunflower
Wild Artichoke. These were miniatures though which were new to me!
Here is some more of the striking Prickly Poppies.
I had never seen these before. They resemble small Matilija Poppies.
They are so beautiful and were blanketing the coastal mountains that had burned in prior years.
I am looking in to planting some at The Holler.
Cheers to you from these most cheerful native San Diego wildflowers!
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Rare Visitors~
Excitement at The Holler!
I called, “Quickly! Run!”
The Quail have come!
The coyotes usually keep them at bay.
So this was quite a special day!
Cheers to you from the newly arrived Holler quail!
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Prague’s Fairytale Rooftops~
Prague, the magical fairyland……
The rooftops fascinate!
This is where the fairies come to dance, in this magical fairytale city.
All of Prague is like a fairyland and when you are here you are sure the fairies are too.
Who else were these rooftops built for?
We of course can enjoy them, but only the fairies can dance up there!
Feeling a bit nostalgic for Prague and I thought you might enjoy some images too!
Okay….. so this isn’t exactly a roof, it’s a ceiling, but I included it because in Prague the things under the roof are just as beautiful as the things on the roof!
Cheers to you from incomparable Prague~
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Tiger Breath!
We got close enough to see the tiger’s breath! Click to enlarge and see for yourself. If I had to come home from vacation, I must admit this was a very good way to do it!!
The Sumatran Tigers are in a brand new, outdoor, 5.2 acre, multi-level exhibit at The San Diego Safari (Wild Animal) Park. The exhibit houses breeding tigers and is filled with trees, plants, waterfalls, streams and ponds.
There are currently approximately 400 Sumatran Tigers left in the wild.
There were originally nine sub-species of tigers in our world, but three of these are now extinct due to habitat destruction and poaching. All tiger sub-species are critically endangered.
Poachers kill Sumatran Tigers for their bones which are used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine.
The San Diego Zoo and Park supports tiger conservation by breeding tigers to insure genetic diversity through cooperative exchange. It also actively supports The International Rhino Foundation whose mission is to protect Sumatran rhinos, tigers and other mammals in Indonesia, with seven trained patrol units that deactivate snares and traps, and apprehend poachers.
It is painful to contemplate killing such magnificent creatures, much less wiping out whole sub-species. Hopefully the efforts of the San Diego Zoo to conserve and educate will help to prevent further destruction.
For more info check out: http://www.sandiegozooglobal.org/ICR/purpose
My son volunteered for the non-profit ICR and can attest to the cutting edge work they do daily in species conservation.
Cheers to you from these incredible animals at Tiger Trails~
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The Cosmos in the Heart of a Flower~
When we look deeply into
the heart of a flower,
we see clouds, sunshine,
minerals, time, the earth,
and everything else in the cosmos in it
Thich Nhat Hanh
Deep in their roots all flowers keep the light
Theodore Roethke
Let life be a deep let-go. See [God/Spirit/All That Is] opening millions of flowers every day without forcing the buds.”
Bhagwan Shree Rayneesh
Gardens are poems, where you stroll with your hands in your pockets
Pierre-Albert Birot
In joy or sadness, flowers are our constant friends
Kozu Kokakura
“To analyze the charms of flowers is like dissecting music; it is one of those things which it is far better to enjoy, than to attempt to fully understand.”
Henry T. Tuckerman
Cheers to you from Queen Elizabeth Gardens Vancouver BC~
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Vancouver’s Multicultural Embrace~
Intricately beautiful street mural downtown Vancouver. Please click to enlarge to soak up all the detail. I love the energy and richness of Vancouver’s multicultural experience.
Check out these street murals at the entrance to Chinatown for example.
They provide snapshot depictions of Chinese Canadian history in the city.
I appreciate the artists who contribute their time and talent.
It is such fun eating in restaurants here and exploring the antique shops,
the food markets,
and the herbalists and herb shops.
Check out these monster dried mushrooms! Don’t they make you want to dine out in Chinatown? The food is divine!
Cheers to from Vancouver’s fascinating Chinatown~
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Duck, Duck, Goose~
How do you spell tranquility?
Quack!
How about a cabin on a lake, with ducklings…….
wait up, quit quacking around,
and of course Canadian goslings…..it’s Canada after all!
What could possibly be more calming,
than a peaceful lake,
with paddling ducks,
on a sunny day,
in Canada?
Cheers to you from all the Canadian quackers!
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Fallin, Yes I’m Fallin…..
and ‘Canada’ keeps callin,
me back again!
Narin Falls BC Canada.
Brandywine Falls BC Canada.
Hope you’re falling for these Canadian falls too! Cheers to you from beautiful BC~
Lyrics: Lennon & McCartney
