5 stamps, pen and ink sketch, soft blue/green on rose matting
He is called the Hum-Bird, because some say he makes a noise like a Spinning Wheel when he flies…Nehemiah Grew, 1693
The Hummingbird is of the Trochilidae family, with over three hundred species ranging from the 2 1/4" Cuban "Bee" to the 8 1/2" Patagona gigas. They evolved in South America and are now found only in the Western Hemisphere virtually from top to bottom, concentrated mostly in the tropics. They are fascinating for their brilliant colors, but primarily for their incredible aerial acrobatics, flying in all directions including backwards and upside down. They captured a place in the songs, legends, and rituals of the natives, the Aztecs even adorned Montezuma in a cloak of Hummingbird feathers. Today they are no less captivating as we watch them feed of wildflowers. Hummingbirds - the "Winged Jewels."
