Vessels of Light

Hummingbirds are such remarkable creatures.  They have little need of their legs, except for perching and gathering nesting material.  They can hover almost indefinitely, so long as their sugar level is high enough.  They have long tongues that extend from their long bills to lap up the nectar that fuels their engines.  They eat gnats (yay!) and such to get their protein.  And they have iridescent feathers, capable of reflecting light in a much more complex manner than feathers colored by pigmentation can accomplish.  They literally capture the sun and redirect specific colors, as in the "ruby" throat of our male east-of-the-Mississippi hummers.  Here are some pictures I took "out back" as we received visitors to our yard here in Ohio:

 She catches the light just enough to show her color.

 Same bird, low light and motion tricking the camera's eye.

 Glorious with morning sun on her back!

 Fattening up for the long trip south.

 Beautiful iridescent back!

The red cypress blooms are custom designed for hummingbirds: red to attract them (insects don't see red, so less competition) and extended pollen delivery system to utilize the busy little birds for pollination!

Same bird, lower light, looking very bland next to the geraniums.

Note the bit of geranium petal on the bill, and the pollen on the forehead :-)

May light perpetual shine on the souls of all victims of violence in our world, and may we be vessels of that light, reflecting eternal, unconditional love that comes not from within, but from that source of peace that surpasses our understanding yet sustains us.

Full moon, 9/11/11