Happy Hummingbird

My mixed media teacher, Melanie, had suggested, as an exercise, that we all try to paint a hummingbird into our work. Hummingbirds are fascinating birds, so tiny and jewel like. Once in a while, a hummingbird visits our deck, attracted to our red and pink begonias. What a treat to peak out from the kitchen window and find a tiny bird, fluttering its wings at the pace of a butterfly. It’s emerald and blue body, a visual charm for the lucky observer.

Hummingbirds are the smallest birds of their species-usually measuring between 3 to 5 inches. They are called hummingbirds because of the sound that their wings make with their rapid flapping. Hummingbirds mostly reside in the tropics, however, there are 17 species in the United States. As with a lot of wildlife, these birds are threatened by the loss of habitat that comes with urban growth. We can make small changes to our own gardens to help sustain the life of the hummingbird. Our tiny bird friends will know that they are welcome when they find plants like honeysuckle, bee balm, sage and tubular flowers to feast on. By adding hummingbird feeders to our yards, we can help them survive the migration. If you are interested in learning more about hummingbirds, the following sites are very informative:

www.defenders.org

www.audubon.org

www.nationalzoo.si.edu

“Happy Hummingbird,” is a sweet reminder of how much happiness we receive from maintaining a vibrant garden. Not only do we have the visual pleasure of the flowers and their nature friends, but we are actively helping our environment by giving back and providing food for precious birds and insects. I look forward to my next hummingbird spotting and in the meantime will continue to incorporate more hummingbirds into my art.

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