Monday, August 23, 2010

Hummingbird Fledglings--Vickie Henderson

Hummingbirds!  They fill the air with their chirps, wing buzzing and deep dives.  But on a few occasions, the activity settles and the males who guard the feeders are quiet.  This happens when a female brings her fledglings to the feeder.
You wonder what's happening as two hummers with white throats settle on the feeder together.  One fiercely chases off an intruder, while the other watches then resumes drinking.  And the males?  They remain settled on their perches.  Ah, it's those subtle communications we know nothing about.  A communication between male and female, a bargain that allows, if only for a brief interval, the youngest of the young to drink and learn.
These watercolor sketches showing the postures of a begging hummingbird fledgling were created on 90# Artistico Fabriano paper.  To see more views and the story of these fledgling sketches, visit hummingbird fledglings at  Vickie Henderson Art.

7 comments:

  1. Oh wow Vickie, these are just fabulous sketches! I am seeing the same thing at my feeders and they are so fun to watch.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Adorable!!! And wonderful sketches! My sister rescued a baby hummingbird that flew into her tractor cab and wouldn't leave....she kept it through the day and gave it water and Dr. Pepper, I think. It finally flew away in the afternoon. She took photos but no sketches!

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a little cutie! I've never seen them that close...

    ReplyDelete
  4. These are wonderful, Vickie! Wow, what a great treat to observe.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow.....I can see their feathers. Great work, Linda

    ReplyDelete
  6. Aaaaw, this is SO gorgeous Vickie! What an honour to be part of watching this inter-action! Your sketches make my heart sing!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks to each of your for your comments! Your impressions and reactions were really special to read on top of the fun of watching these busy little birds and the smiles I enjoyed while creating these sketches!

    ReplyDelete

We'd love to hear from you, your questions, comments, observations! Please feel free to comment, feedback is important to us.