Flying Hummingbird With Flowers - 2 in 1

This project began life as a kinetic sculpture attempting to simulate the unique wing movement of a hummingbird as it hovers. I love the shimmer of the Violet-Crowned Woodnymph as it flies and did my best to recreate its graceful form. But what good is a bird who has nothing to hover around? I then learned that Woodnymphs will aggressively guard bromeliads in the wild so a sculpture of that plant surrounded in Spanish Moss was created for the hungry bird. Eventually, since the gearing of the mechanism was impossible to completely hide, I designed an alternative stand where the hummingbird could be displayed in mid-flight. Thus, the woven basket filled with clematis vines came into bloom.

I did my best to make each of the pieces as accurate to their real-life counterpart as possible. The hummingbird can be displayed on or off the kinetic gearing, atop the basket handle or on its own. I feel the set would make a nice show piece especially for those of us who already have a growing LEGO garden in their home or office.

Violet-Crowned Woodnymph (thalurania colombica)

This creation was modeled after a hummingbird known to inhabit wet lowlands and the foothills of Central and South American. The male has a bright purple head, upper back, shoulders and abdomen tapering to a blue-black tail. His throat and breast are a shiny green. Translucent parts were used to replicate the iridescent shimmer of the bird’s feathers.

The Violet-Crowned Woodnymph primarily feeds on nectar taken from a variety of brightly colored flowers often seeking out red-colored, tubular-shaped plants with high sugar content. They use their long, straw-like tongues to retrieve the nectar while hovering with their tails cocked upward as they are licking at the nectar.

Length: 16 cm

Width: 8 cm

Height: 23.5 cm

Bromeliad (guzmania lingulata)

Native to the subtropical regions of North, Central, and South America, bromeliads can be found in a striking array of colors, from orange and red to yellow and purple. This plant’s beautiful, long-lasting, torch-like inflorescence make them a prized addition to many home gardens. The leaves collect rainwater making them especially attractive to hummingbirds because they can feed on the flower's nectar and drink from the water cup.

The bromeliad’s gracefully arching leaves and offset positioning made recreating them particularly challenging.

Length: 30 cm

Width: 30 cm

Height: 30 cm

Clematis is a genus of vining plants with colorful, bell or cup shaped blooms. They can be found in numerous places throughout the world with flowers that come in a wide variety of colors and have been a garden staple for centuries. The Clematis is a vigorous plant so it was depicted with its rambling vines escaping the container.

Length: 16 cm

Width: 19 cm

Height: 19.5 cm (with bird: 33.5 cm)

Thank you for viewing my idea and, hopefully, for your support!