They arrive like tiny colorful miracles...
One moment the air is still, the next a blur of emerald and green zips past my face, wings humming so fast they become invisible. Then another appears. Hovering in perfect stillness before darting away in a flash of iridescent color.
In the gardens and forest edges around my home near Quepos in Costa Rica, hummingbirds are constant companions. Brown hermits with their long curved bills, fiery rufous tailed ones defending their most favorite flowers and the occasional sabrewing that glows when the light catches it just right.
Every single day, they remind me how much life can fit into something so small. And I never tire of watching them.
They move with impossible speed, burning energy at a rate that would exhaust any of us, yet they also know exactly when to rest. They hover, fly backwards, even upside down! Little flying jewels that seem to bend the rules of what’s possible.
There’s something deeply spiritual about them. Hummingbirds live fully in the present moment. They don’t worry about yesterday or tomorrow, they simply show up, drink deeply from whatever nectar the day offers and move on with chirping joy. Their wings beat so fast that their hearts race at hundreds of beats per minute, yet they can also slip into a state of deep rest called "torpor" each night, conserving energy so they can rise again at dawn.
To me, they carry a quiet teaching: live with intensity and joy, but also know when to rest and restore. Be fearless in your movement through the world, but stay light enough to change direction in an instant. Find sweetness wherever it blooms.
These tiny sparks of color and life have become some of my greatest daily joys here in Costa Rica. They fill the air with constant movement and wonder, turning ordinary mornings, hot afternoons and early evenings into something truly magical.
Would you like to bring a little piece of that flying light into your home? Explore hummingbird prints in the shop.
