Nature's Tiny Jewels

Every spring, here in the Columbia Valley, we eagerly wait for the return of the hummingbirds.

Often we’ll be sitting quietly on our deck when we suddenly hear a loud buzz nearby. Our first thought is always the same - that’s a pretty loud bee! Then we look up and realize… it’s a hummingbird hovering in midair!

This collage, Nature’s Tiny Jewels, features several hummingbirds we photographed last spring during our very first season living in the Columbia Valley. We were incredibly fortunate that the home we were staying in had an extremely high deck overlooking the valley, placing us almost level with the treetops - and that’s exactly where all the action was happening.

From that perfect vantage point, we would spend hours watching these tiny birds zip through the air and weave in and out of the tall trees just beyond the deck. Every now and then one would fly right up and hover in front of us, as if stopping for a closer look.

One of the most mesmerizing things we witnessed was their courtship display. Male hummingbirds perform elaborate aerial dances to attract a female. They would soar high into the air - sometimes up to 100 feet - before diving at incredible speeds that can reach 60 miles per hour! As they would dive, the sunlight would flash off their brilliant throat feathers, called the gorget, creating dazzling bursts of color, but only for a split second, as you heard the zipping sound of them passing by.

Watching them rise high above the trees and then dive back down through the air right in front of us was nothing short of magical.

Though they may be tiny, hummingbirds bring incredible energy, color, and wonder to every spring day. To us, they truly are nature’s tiny jewels.

To download the Story Behind Nature's Tiny Jewels CLICK HERE