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Stephanie Beavers

~ Always be yourself. Unless you can be a dragon. Then always be a dragon.

Tag Archives: hummingbirds

Miniature Fighter Pilots With Pit Bull Personalities

06 Thursday Nov 2014

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in News

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

animals, author, birdcalls, birds, fun, hummingbird, hummingbirds, nature, Stephanie Beavers, wildlife, writer

Hummingbirds. Beautiful. Tiny. Surely these are the sweetest of all birds.

Spoiler alert: no.
I once heard hummingbirds described as miniature fighter pilots with pit bull personalities. From what I’ve seen, this is entirely accurate.

Throughout my childhood, my mom had a single hummingbird feeder hanging over our deck, and let me tell you, hummingbirds are a scrappy lot. They’re territorial and constantly dive-bombing one another. When two males challenge each other, I’ve seen them fly around in tight circles, feathers spread in challenge displays. They get so focused on each other that I’ve seen them bounce off branches, windows, and even the side of our house!
Don’t believe me? Check out this article: Male Hummingbirds Use Beaks As Daggers To Stab Opponents’ Throats

Here’s a really good quality video of normal hummingbird footage, including what they sound like. Hummingbirds don’t just make sound by “tweeting” (or squeaking), they also make sounds with their wings. Their “humming” (created with their feathers) will vary depending on what they’re trying to communicate. An angry hummingbird is a loud, buzzing hummingbird (it’s usually very vocal, too). Individual hums also vary.

At one point in the above video, you can actually hear them whack into each other.
After 0:27 the dive-bombing starts.
Around the 1:56 mark, you can see one hummingbird poke his tongue out the end of his beak. They actually do it quite a few times over the course of the video. It always reminds me of the Road Runner sticking his tongue out at Wile E. Coyote.

Hummingbird mating dances are really cute though. I remember seeing one kind at home. The male would fly straight up in the sky with a little “zoop zoop zoop” sound, and then dive back down with a high-pitched “pew” sound. I tried to find footage of it for you guys, but apparently given how tiny they are and how fast they’re moving over a large space, it’s really hard to catch on video. I did find this cute, puffy hummingbird “singing” a courtship song:

But I think this might be my new favorite kind of hummingbird. Look! Kite tails and fluffy legs!

Remember folks, they’re only cute because they’re squeaky.

So, readers? Did you know that hummingbirds were really mean little fighting machines? Or did this come as a surprise? I’d love to read your hummingbird stories!

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Science Mimics Life and Awe Creates Art

18 Monday Aug 2014

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in News

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Tags

author, brain, chip, helicoptors, hummingbirds, ibm, life, nature, News, Science, science fiction, science news, Stephanie Beavers, technology, writer

Hummingbirds Are More Efficient Than Helicopters When It Comes To Hovering
IBM Reveals Incredible New Brain-Inspired Chip
I recommend reading both these articles (they’re cool) but the titles really convey all you need to know for this blog entry.

To me, articles like these are reminders to stop and reflect on how amazing life is. Life itself is a miracle. We exist in such beautiful, wonderful complexity, and we only barely understand the physical aspects of our existence, nevermind the spiritual aspects. This fills me with awe.

Sometimes it seems like scientists (at least as represented in pop culture) are too confident that we know all there is to know, or that humans know and can do better than nature. But really? It’s reassuring to see scientists looking to the world around us and realizing that there is still so much to learn. Even looking at the tiny, beautiful hummingbird, so fragile, yet so powerful, can teach us how to better build machines that can fly us around the world. Looking at the human brain can allow us to improve upon machines that can calculate equations no human brain could process without aids (if only a writing instrument and surface).

hummingbirds are better than helicopters

Sometimes people ask writers where they came up with their ideas. Especially in fantasy, given how departed it can be from reality. And one part of the answer… I think is awe. When I witness something and am filled with awe, I am inspired. I don’t know that art can be created without awe.

So what do you think? Do you think art comes from awe? Or do you think humanity can improve upon nature? Let me know in the comments, or share any other thoughts you might have.

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Calling - Ebook Calling On Fire by Stephanie Beavers!
Two brothers with magical abilities seek to stop an evil mage only to find the fate of an entire race in their hands.
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