The Wine-Throat Hummingbird

The Wine-Throat Hummingbird
These hummer's I have always found to be fascinating and quite

beautiful.
I haven't found any quite like them in the hummingbird family. 
The Male Wine-Throat hummingbird have extravagant magenta gorget but the throats of the female hummer's of these wines-throats are quite plain. These tiny hummer's inhabit humid and semi-humid forest, pine-oak woodlands and also shrubby type areas too. The wine-throat hummingbirds primarily feed on the nectar of their floral territories and are able to easily steal floral nectar from other neighorhooding  hummingbirds that are within the area, because of they resemble of a bee in size and their flight patterns too. 

These hummer's come from the highlands in Southern Mexico in

Chiapas South through Guatemala to northern El Salvador and Honduras. The elevation of these tiny bee like hummer's range is 1500 to 3500. 
Habitat  of these tiny bee hummer's is the Humid Evergreen forests, forest edge and shrubby growth that sits adjacent to these forest. They also can be found in high elevation of blooming flowers. 

Food of these gems - They generally visit large groups of flower plans in all strata, although these hummer's perhaps are more frequent at the lower elevations. There is little info on the type of flowing plantings and blooms flowers that these wine-throats love to be their source of food. Yet there are a few known in El

Salvador that the Wine-throat hummingbirds seemed to forage on the flowers of a plant  locally called Sacatinta [Fuchsia parviflora] which blooms profusely in September throughout the remaining of the year-

These flowers inhabit a wide area of open fields to brushy second growth and even woodland edges too. Sometimes these Fuchsia parviflora's have been seen clambering up through the crowns of tall trees toward the sunlight. 
Another flowering bloom that these tiny bees like hummer's like that produce an abundance's of nectar while blooming in the months of October thru December is the Estoraque - [Styrax Argentus] which grows to the heights of these small trees, its flowers attract a wide variety of insects and of course the Wine-throat hummingbirds.

On one occasion a male wine-throat hummer was observed feeding on these flowers on a lower branch of a chicharra about 3 to 4 meters from the ground. Seems very odd for such a tiny gem of a tiny bird to be so closed to the ground when I first research this hummer but I then learned that they can move very fast like a bee so they would be perfectly fine, as nature is. 
Breeding- These beautiful hummingbirds sing at dispersed links

with individual males separated by 25 to 30 meters. They are perch on a bare exposed twig in a bush or the lower branch of a tree, when they sing to the female wine-throat hummer's. It is a separated song that these male wine-throat hummer's will do for their females.

 

 

They will also spread their feathers of the red gorget 'all times' for

his ladies, while he makes a long looping flight around the ladies then returning again to the perch from which he will continue to sing again for the female  wine-throat's - then will do the whole act again.
These tiny hummer's nests in mid Aug in Guatemala contain two very tiny white eggs in a slender oak trees about 1.2 meters above the ground/ near the end of the a branch. 

I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I have.. I do love my hummingbirds. As I do believe that hummingbirds have a huge connections with the Fae world.. So if you see hummingbirds you are sure to be that there is fairies in your garden too! you just may not see them at first... 
For my love of the hummingbirds 

Love and blessing to you all my dearest Reader

(◕‿◕｡..."(✿◠‿◠)˙•٠•●♪♫♪❤❤♪   \(^o^)/  ☼♥ ☆°‧°﹒☆҉☆¸.✿¸¸.•´ ¸.•´.✿★ ✿★ ‿↗⁀☆҉☆ Wendy 

  

 

Goodmoring-Rosy

Goodmorning-
Hello, my dears, it's 27 degrees outside and it's freezing.... Here in 

 Washington Kent. I just wanted to let you know about my hummer Rosy. Yes, he is still at my porch side, protecting it as he always does even in this freezing temp's. I saw him this morning after taking my son to the bus stop. 
If any of you have hummers in this kinda conditions make sure you put thick socks over your feeders! Because the food you have made for them will FREEZE!  

I have posted this in my earlier ones about hummers and stories about my Rosy, but I just wanted to help all you folks that might have a few hummers that have stayed over the coldddddd! Winter and so you can know how to keep them safe and have food for them all the winter. The feeders that I use during the cold winters like this are the plastic or metal. And I check on them every day. When the temperatures get down to the 20's and teens you have to check to make sure that your food nectar has not frozen on them.  You must remember that this is their only source of food during this time.
If you need the food recipe that I had posted before- and you might have missed it my dear Readers- Here you are -o)
4 cups of water
1 cup of white sugar
1 teaspoon of Pure Orange Extract

Boil the 4 cups of water first, then add the 1 cup of white sugar till dissolved. Let boil for 1min, then cool after cooling add 1 teaspoon of the pure orange extract. Then put in a plastic container to keep in your refrigerator till needed. 
I hope these tips will help you all with your own hummers in these cold winter months. Wendy..

Kelpies Sculptures In Scotland

Kelpies Sculptures In Scotland
I found this article in my on-line news about 'Kelpies' World largest

Sculptures. I thought I would share with you all my dear readers -o), since I've noticed that my post on "Kelpie-Celtic Water Horse" has been on the top of my most Daily popular for many weeks. I haven't' had a look at it in months and didn't realize how popular is was. I had done that post only when I had first started my blog in January of 2013 of this year! The Keplie Post was on a Sunday afternoon on March 24, 2013 and I found these Magical creatures fascinating. 
So when I saw this article on the Sculptures of the Kelpies that were done in Scotland I just had to share. 

From the small article it says that the work is by Glasgow based and the Artist is Andy Scott who have been at it for seven years in the making.

The stunning Kelpies rise 100 feet from the ground to the tower over the new Helix Parkland, which will open next year.
It is said that the Kepie horses were modeled after Clydesdale's Duke's & Barn - to pay homage to the tradition of working horses of Scotland. These horses used to pull barges along Scotland canals and also worked in the fields in the areas where the Kelpies Sculptures now
Stand.
These Kelpies TWO of them are ENORMOUS! EACH WEIGHING

IN AT 300 TONS AND CONTAINS 9,842 FEET OF STEEL

TUBING AND 17,000 COMPONENT PARTS TO THE SCULPTURES. TO MAKE THEM 3D KELPIES.
The Artist of the Kelpies Sculptures put them in a place to honor their homeland. Where they will dramatically change the landscape around Falkirk.

These Kelpies and the new canal link to the Forth & Clyde canal are expected to open up the island waterways to more and bigger

vessels and it will lead to an increase in boating traffic throughout central Scotland. This is the hope for their country.
Quote from the Artist Andy Scott " I see the Kelpies as a personification of local and national equine history, of the lost industries of Scotland ," said Scott. 
"I also envisage them as a symbol of modern Scotland -proud and Majestic, of the people and the land. They are the culmination of cutting edge technology and hand crafted artisan ship created by our country.

Well I found this post fascinating myself! I surly hope that you my dear

readers do too! There is a Video to that I am going to try to put with this post but sometimes they just don't let me keep them on

here. So we will give it a goo try.. I hope you all like to the image that I found too. I have always loved the Cydesdale horses. They are the most beautiful horse in my opinion. Well Enjoy..Wendy.

VIOLET-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRD♥. ¸.✫¨´`'*°☆. (: ♥♥i`❥•♪♫¸¸.☆

Violet-crowned Hummingbird
These hummers origins name is the Amazilia Violiceps because they are an Spanish hummer. The Chupamirto Corona Azul -

Violet-crowned Hummingbird~
These Gems of the sky as I call them are from Western Mexico, with their summer homes being in a few places in the southeast of Arizona and the Southerner New Mexico too.
These hummers just recently arrived to the U.S. The Violet-crowned Hummingbird were virtually unknown to the north of Mexico border until the late 1950's and  even today they are quite scarce in many areas

to even localize. These beautiful Violet-crown's are frequent in area's of semiarid open woodlands. When they are seen, they are usually found in the U.S. near groves of very tall trees, especially

sycamores and the cottonwoods that are surrounded by a bushy understory. They feel more protected this way. During their breeding season these beautiful hummers will deliver a squeaky song that is often heard at dawn. This is when this type of hummer tries to attract the female Violet crown's with their musical squeaky song. Afterwards their favorite nesting sites are the deciduous trees,

especially sycamores or
the large shrubs even. These nest are placed in the open, but in shady spots between four and forty feet from the ground! Now that is Amazing! for a hummer. 

This is very different form your adverged hummingbird. Nest with a range from 4 to 40feet from the ground is HUGE!
But then again these hummers are one of the largest of the hummingbirds, not thee largerest but large!Its about four and half inches long [note the smallest of the hummingbirds on Earth is a mere 21/4 inches long ~ which is called -The Bee Hummingbird - The longest hummingbird on Earth is 8 1/2 inches long is the gaint hummingbird of the South American Andes] <note I will do a post on these two hummers at some point >
Both the Male and Female look very similar with bright white

underbellys and throats, bronzy green upper parts and green tails.

The Violet -Crowned hummers bills are bright red and the tip is black.
The crown of these hummers is an violet-blue, yet with the felmale it is just slightly a bit duller in color. 
When flower nector is not abundant or even available, the Violet-crowned hummingbirds cand be seen hovering vid level inthe shade of tall trees catching insects. The hummingbirds name violiceps is from the Greek meaning 'Violethead" a reference to the hummers Voilets -blue crown. 
This is another of my post that I am doing of my love of the 

Hummingbird...
I hope that you all Enjoyed this beautiful gem as much as I. Love you all! My dear Friends & Followers with love Yur Wendy! -ooo)





The Dream Girl

The Dream Girl 
'This is a story from an book from Hawaii. I wanted to share some of their breathtaking  stories and legends of their beautiful islands

& culture. I have family in the Hawaiian Islands and love them dearly...
Here is one of my favorite one's by Hawaiian Antiquities and Folklore by Fornander. 


"O Grandmother!"
Old Maka lay on her mats between waking and sleeping. Had she heard a call? "O Grandmother, come and get me!"
The old woman opened her eyes. Beside her bed stood a young woman, tall and very lovely. Maka gazed at her in wonder. "I have never seen you before, beautiful girl, " she said as last. "What do you want?"
"O  Grandmother, come and get me," the young woman begged again. "I lie on the trash pile beside the gardens. I lie among dry cane stalks and kale leaves. Come quickly before I die!" There were tears in the girls eyes. Old Maka tried to speak to her again but she was gone. 
The old woman roused herself and sat up on her mats. A dream? Yes, it 

 had been a dream, but the call for help was real. The old woman drew a cape about her shoulders and stood a moment in the doorway. Her eyes were full of tears because of the sorrow of the dream girl.
Gray mist of early morning filled the world. Yet somehow the old woman found the pathe and followed it up to the gardens. The trash pile! Where was the trash pile? Through her tears she saw a rainbow in the mist. She wiped away her tears so that she could see more clearly. And now she saw the rainbow, small and very bright , hanging above the trash pile. She stooped closer, There, among dry stalks of sugar cane and kale leaves, a tiny baby lay. 
Old Maka took the baby in her arms. She wrapped it in her kapa and held it close  against her breast for warmth. As she stumbled home her eyes again were full of tears for this child deserted on a trash pile. 
When she reached the house the sun had risen and the mist was gone. In the clear warm light old Maka and her husband looked long at the baby
a beautiful little girl.
"A little chiefess," Maka told her husband, "for over her I saw a rainbow,small but very bright."
"It is the sign of a chiefess," her husband said. "It does not matter who she is. We shall care for the little one."
And so they did. They fed and cared for her and kept her always with them, safe in their upland home. The little girl played with birds and lizards, she swam in the mountain pool, she made lei of lehua blossoms and danced and sang. But she was always alone except for the old 
couple. 
"A chiefess must not mix with common folk," they said and so 
Nohea, their beautiful girl, never saw young people. she never saw a girl of her own age, nor a young man..
She grew to womanhood and became the lovely woman of Maka's dream. 
"What now?"the old woman asked her husband. "The time has come for her to marry. Where shall we find a husband for our young chiefess?"
The gods who guarded Nohea had their plan. One night the young woman dreamed. In her dream she saw a man - tall, straight, handsome and wearing a cape of feathers and a feather covering on his head. 
In his hand was a great stick. Nohea had never seen a warrior. She did not recognize the feather garments nor the war club but she listened to the young man's words.
"You must go on a strange journey," he said to her, "a strange , hard journey." Then he was gone.
Nohea woke and thought about her dream. "A strange journey." She did not understand but the forest was in her mind. She seemed to see herself in the cool of the forest. She seemed to see herself pushing her way through tangled growth, resting beside a spring and climbing lehua trees to gather blossoms. Nohea thought much that day but she did 
nothing. 
That night she dreamed again. Again the stranger came wearing feather garments. But tonight he did not seem a stranger - rather an old friend. 
Again he spoke to her. 
"Make ready for a journey, O Nehea," he said. "YOu must start at once." The dream ended and the girl awoke. 
She sprang up from her mats. I must start at once! she told herself, for the words of the young man were ringing in her ears. 
She put on her pa'u and shoulder cape but did not stop for food. She went out into the chill of early morning. The thought of the forest was strong in her, again, and she followed the trail that led to it. 
For days Nohea wandered in the forest just as her thoughts had pictured. Sometimes she pushed her way through tangled undergrowth.
She stumbled over hidden logs, vines caught her feet and her kapa was wet with dew. Sometimes she wandered in a sunny, open grove of lehua.  She gathered blossoms and made lei for her neck and hair. She slept beside a spring. 
In her sleep the man came to her. He called and beckoned to her. In the day she didn not see him but sometimes she saw a rainbow which seemed to wave her on ward and she followed .
She was not afraid, for she felt her friend was guiding her. 
One day she heard loud sounds. Something was crashing through the underbrush, some animal or person. Frightened, Nohea climbed a tree.
A moment later a man came from among the ferns and stood looking at
her. "Come down, beautiful girl. " he said. His voice was friendly but 
Nohea was still afraid. 
Then the man threw himself down before her. He threw himself down as a man does before his chief. Nohea did not know that custom but she understood that this man would not hurt her. "Come down, " he begged again."O Heavenly One, let me lead you to my master, chief of Kohala. 
He has seen you in his dreams and he waits for your coming. Let me lead you to him."
Was this the answer to her dream? Was it this chief who had spoken to her?  Slowly Nohea climbed down and followed the man who led her out of the forest and along a trail. 
At last they come to a group of houses. In the shady young men were busy with some game. The one who led Nohea bowed before the tallest man. "I have found her, O Heavenly One," he said. 
The young man turned toward Nohea. His face lighted with great joy as he came to her. 
"You have come, O woman of my dreamssss," he said. "But your eyes are full of tears. Why do you weep?"
"I dreamed of someone," she whispered. 
"What was he like? Was he like me?"
"Yes, his voice was yours, and his eyes, but he was different . He  wore a long cape of feathers. He wore feathers on his head and held a great  stick in his hand."
The man turned to his servant. "Bring my feather cape and helmet, "he commanded. "Bring my war club." He put them on. 
"Behold your warrior!"
Nohea smiled. "My warrior indeed!" she said. " I know you now. It was you who came to me in dreams. Let me send for my old people, the grandparends who cared for me. But for them I should not be alive."
On the day that the chief of Kohala and Nohea were married a great

storm covered the mountain and plains. Thunder roared and sheets of blinding rain swept down the mountains but the rain was lighted by rainbows. 
Old Maka listened to the thunder and watched the rainbows joyfully, then turned to her husband with shinning eyes. "The gods are glad," she said. "They send storm and rainbows to celebrate the marriage of the chiefess whom we love."
I hope you all Enjoyed the story of and wonder legend of Hawaii..
Wendy