Thursday, August 18, 2011

A tiny visitor...

When the first little hummingbird graced our feeder this spring, I vowed that one day I would take a picture of it. There are about 5 or 6 different ones that show up at the feeder. Each with their own markings and are very different from the next. A few are frequent visitors, sometimes showing up 6 or 7 times a day. 

Yesterday evening, after cooking dinner on the grill, I was able to finally snap a picture of one of our little visitors. 


This summer is the first summer I've actually heard their little chirps. They almost sound like a little chipmunk hyped up on sugar. Here's a video I found of their little chirping songs.

 In many cultures of the western world, the hummingbird has powerful religious and spiritual significance.  In the high Andes of South America, for example, the hummingbird is taken to be a symbol of resurrection. This is because each hummer enters a state of torpor on cold nights, coming across as if they died, only to come back to life again with the sunrise and it's warmth.

When the hummingbird becomes a totem animal, it teaches us to appreciate the magic of being alive and the truth of beauty. Hummingbirds also inspire us to protect the environment. 

I hope as our flower gardens start to grow in, that our yard will be soon filled with hummingbirds and butterflies flitting about.



signature

4 comments:

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...