Tag: Southern California Hummingbirds

Wings~

On By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Tech Marvels, Wild Life144 Comments

Hummingbirds are the smallest birds in the world. Anna’s weigh about .14 ounce, but they can fly at speeds of up to 60 mph.

Unlike other birds they can fly backwards and upside down, and they are among the 1% of birds who can hover.

Hummers fly upright, not flat like other birds.

Their wings rotate 180 degrees, on their shoulder ball and socket joints,

and can beat up to 200 times per minute!

Despite their petite size, hummingbirds have mega-brains. Their brains constitute 4.2% of their body weight, greater than any other bird, and greater than human beings whose brains are about 2% of their body mass. Hummers remember how to fly thousands of miles, they know and remember which humans can be counted on to feed them, and they remember which flowers have the best nectar.

Cheers to you from the small but mighty hummer~

Colibris del Holler II~

On By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Wild Life194 Comments

Hovering in mid flight,

reaching speeds of 60 mph,

with a tongue that is longer than their body,

the only bird in the world that can fly backwards and upside down,

weighing about a tenth of an ounce,

and battling for turf and territory daily with their lethal spear beaks,

hummers are flying,

works of art,

with attitudes!

Cheers to you from The Holler Hummers~

Colibiris del Holler I~

On By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, GARDENING AT THE HOLLER, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Wild Life168 Comments

I thought it might be time to post some more Holler Hummers.

Hummingbirds in your backyard,

make everyday brighter.

They accompany me on my gardening rounds,

and buzz the camera when I am taking their photos.

If the feeder’s empty,

they swarm my office window until I get up and fill them!

They are quite persuasive,

for such wee tiny critters, weighing only .11 ounces!

Cheers to you from The Holler’s ever entertaining colibris~

Hummer Locals~

On By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES323 Comments

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The year round hummers have names. Meet Star.
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Star got the name because she is my star poser and lets me get quite close. She often sleeps with me a couple of feet away which is incredibly cute! She looks about ready to nod off now.
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Yep, here she goes, snoozing the day away. I can identify with a hummer who likes her naps!
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This is Flash. He strobes his intense colors at will and frequently. He tends to be a bit more hyper and dominant than laid back Star.

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He would never sleep in my presence, but he loves to zoom at great velocity over the top of my head, making my hair flutter!

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At the feeder he perches at the back and hides, peeking at me occasionally out of curiosity.
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Piloto is Spanish for pilot.

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He drinks from the feeder only while in flight, never perching.

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Piloto is named for his flying ability.

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He is always in super fast motion and is an expert in flying backwards.

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He loves to fly about a hundred feet in the air and dive bomb down at up to 6o mph!

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Darth is named for his black helmet and his cranky behavior. He will frequently dislodge Star from her perch while napping, just because he can! He is quite entertaining to watch and harmless, albeit the other hummers do find him annoying.
The spring migration will be starting any day now. Up to 40 additional hummingbirds will descend on The Holler. I will hang additional feeders to accommodate the numbers and we have nest boxes going up in the center courtyard. By mid-April The Holler will be humming!
Cheers to you from the The Holler Hummer locals~