Tiny Miracles

This summer is the first time I have had hummingbirds in my backyard, and I have just been mesmerized by them.  They came in June, and I have seen them everyday since.  They actually showed up right after my sister, Lynda, died on June 6th.  So in that respect, the little creatures are even more of a miracle for me.  I so want to believe that it is her way of telling me that she is okay.  Even if that isn't the case, it makes me feel better.  Not only do they feed, but they often sit on the clothesline or power lines.

You have to look very closely

 

Another interesting activity I was able to watch was a hummingbird being banded while we were in Nashville.  It was at a nature center. They often have the same birds return to the center and often around  the same date each year.

 

Hummingbird Facts

 

They are the tiniest bird in the world

 

They can hear better than humans and see farther

 

Their hearts beat up to 1,260 times per minute and the heart is 2.5 % of their body weight

 

They weigh  between 2 and 20 grams (a penny is 2.5 grams)

 

They can fly forward, backwards, sideways and upside down and can also hover in mid-air

 

Their wings can beat up to 200 times per second, and they can fly 25-30 miles per hour

 

They do not mate for life, and the females do all the nest building and care of the young

 

They fly across the Gulf of Mexico which takes them about 20 hours

 

 

So indeed, the hummingbird is a miracle.  I am going to miss seeing them when they soon leave for the winter.  Really hope they decide  to come back and visit me again next summer.  I will be waiting!

 

 

Thought for the day:  In wilderness, I sense the miracle of life, and behind it our scientific accomplishments fade to trivia.    Charles Lindbergh