According to The Hummingbird Site http://www.thehummingbirdsite.com/ the ancient Aztec Gods of Sun and War were called the "Hummingbird Wizards". These were the patron gods of the Aztecs. The Aztec warriors believed when they were killed in battle, they would return as hummingbirds. Aztec royalty and religious leaders were the only ones allowed to wear hummingbird feathers. They would adorn their kings with capes made from hummingbird skins.
This leads one to wonder how the capes were made. How were the mystical birds captured? How many thousands were killed just to make a king feel superior? And—if the birds were reincarnated warriors--the poor guys had to die twice for their leaders. But I digress.
Hummingbirds truly are magic. They are probably the source of stories of pixies and wood sprites.
When I saw them visiting the feeder at my daughter’s house I spent an hour or so stalking the little creatures with my camera. I came home with photos like this:
and promptly went home and hung up a feeder at my house. No takers. None. I saw a few flit through my flower garden, but the eatery was shunned.
The other day I was up to my neck in my rose garden ripping out the wild morning glory that was strangling my beauties. I was sweating and grimy and generally ticked off with weeds. I heard the chirp even before I heard the zoom-zoom. A little female hummer danced around me as I watched her methodically sip from every blossom on a stalk of larkspur. For several minutes I stood still in the hot sun and absorbed her enchantment before she disappeared.
Yesterday morning I was in my pajamas looking out my kitchen window when I again saw a hummingbird visiting my larkspurs. I nearly choked on my OJ. Then I grabbed my camera and aimed it through the window as I tried to follow her about the flower garden. Thank heavens for my Nikor 70-300 autofocus lens with vibration reduction. Without my glasses I had no idea of anything was in focus.
In the end I came up with these. MAGIC.
14 comments:
You are so right! MAGIC!
Leenie you should join the Sunday Stills group http://sundaystills.wordpress.com/about/
The next challenge is http://sundaystills.wordpress.com/2010/07/25/sunday-stills-the-next-challenge-grafittistreet-art/
Grafitti
and
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Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Awesome shots! A cape made of hummingbirds is just too much to process- They are so tiny!
Your hummingbird photos are impressive! I've been trying all summer to take a decent hummingbird shot. No luck.
Thank you for sharing the magic :)
Awesome! They are a mystical little creature. Congratulations on some mighty fine photos!
Oh, that is magic!
Magnifico!
Wow..this looks special! Leenie, I will be back shortly so I can view these images on a big screen:)
They've certainly been the magic and source of inspiration for many a story! I liken them to what I've always felt about Seahorses! These are so stunning and beautiful! Just breath taking! Thanks for such an inspiring share Leenie!! I'm going back to enlarge some more!
Yes, magic is right - what wonderful shots, your lens has definitely earned its keep.
What a privilege to have humming birds in the garden.
Oh Leenie! I can't believe these pictures! (Of course I do believe them, but they are so absolutely magical & beautiful, that they seem to be unbelievable.) I am not generally a nature person, I feel ashamed of it sometimes, living in such a beautiful country. I do go for walks in the mountain, but I do not know names of birds, plants, etc. I am wondering if we have hummingbirds here? Must find out.
Amazing photo catches! Hummers are so hard to photograph.
They are unbelievably beautiful!
I am speechless.
What astonishing and magical images. All of them, not just the birds.
Awesome Leenie - and shooting blind no less! BTW, my out-of-focus emu shots do NOT run the pants of these. Just so you know.
:-)
BB
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