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Posted on 08/24/2020 3:38:48 PM PDT by fwdude
For all the little creatures out there, falling water can be a big hazard. When water drops are a large percentage of your body size, you need clever adaptations to survive even commonly occurring phenomena such as rain. So even greater volumes of falling water, like a waterfall, may as well be a wall to delicate fliers.
But for some insects and small birds, this seemingly impenetrable barrier is surmountable. Several species of birds at least, make use of these natural barriers by tucking their nests safely behind the shimmering walls. Some are known to fly right through this plummeting liquid.
To get a better idea of how this works, researchers filmed hummingbirds passing through falling water. And were surprised at the clever and elegant way they tackle this obstacle.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencealert.com ...
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I’m amazed!
A Japanese photographer had a camera lens so fast, he could actually film women’s lips not moving. (this is where I run for cover)
Watching hummers at our feeder is one of my few pleasures in life.
Really cool little birds, and they defend their nectar feeders and flower areas aggressively.
How the aviation engineers wish they could design an aircraft that could perform as hummingbirds do in flight, evasion, speed, braking, hovering and fantastic gyrations. Partly because no human (even in a G suit) could survive the G forces of these kinds of maneuvers. The physics of the stressors on hummingbirds in flight are phenomenal.
Sort of like— “if human beings could lift what an ant does” kind of analysis.
Marvelous little birds. Their annual migration back down to the Mexican Gulf Coast and further south, following the flowers (and sometimes they go straight across the Gulf— with so little reserves on board, a marvel. There are videos on oil derricks in mid ocean who put out feeders and they are swarmed— really helping the little guys make it).
Wife loves them because they eat a LOT of mosquitoes and bugs, beyond their nectar seeking.
I’ve gotta say they are my favorites! Our last year in NC we had SWARMS of them at our feeders. I went out and bought two extra ones with eight ports each and was going through a five pound bag of sugar every week making the solution to fill them. Had to refill them twice a day! So worth it, though.
“Hummers really do rule!”
Bubba Clintoon agrees.
Incredible active isolation of hummingbird’s head and eyes from the powerful cyclic drive of its wings.
Yes. a marvel of video recording. Like to view the works of Mr. Edgerton (founder of EG&G military contractor/spyworks, cameras, etc. also filmed the explosion of the first atomic bomb at Alamagordo).
The stroboscope his development. Here’s a lady with hummingbirds (still photo stop action):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Rogers_Webster
I often wonder at the energy they consume to keep those wings beating so fast. Can you imagine the amount of energy required for any kind of manmade aircraft to move like they do?
Amazing
Ours often fly through the hose spray while I am out watering. Some repeatedly.
At our hideout in Arizona, they land on our fingers held out next to their feeder.
Very cool little birds.
We had about a gazillion hummers every summer when we lived in the mountains east of Pocatello, ID. Two years in a row there was a retired USAF vet who came around to trap them, take measurements, band them (really, really tiny bands), and release them. Some days we caught the same ones twice. They are SO tiny - absolute wonders of nature. We don’t have as many in north Idaho but we’ve got plenty!
“isolation of head and eyes”? Not sure what you mean. What I noticed was the fanned out tail feathers til it hit the water then tail got tucked in. After slicing through with one wing, the head rotation seemed to help restore balance.
LOL. Three thumbs up for that one. :-)
I’ve tried for years to attract hummingbirds to my home by putting out feeders and growing flowers they like. It wasn’t until this year they showed up. Now I’m seeing them everyday and enjoy it immensely. I never grow tired of watching them.
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