This is NOT a short post . . . if one needs to take care of “business”, please do that before starting in on the the following.
Done? Wash your hands? I’m asking mainly the guys. Ladies, the vast majority of men do not wash their hands before leaving public restrooms. I can’t speak for what they do at home, but I’m betting at most a cursory sprinkle is all the “cleaning” they do.
The proper thing to do, per my simple way of looking at things, is for you ladies to repay them in kind.
OK, then. On with the business in hand.
Hummingbirds. I really like these little jewels, and in the summer many avail themselves of the feeders we put up.
- Here is a Rufous resting on one of our trees. They are not friendly birds, and a bit skittish when it comes to photographs.
I caught this sequence exactly as shown here.
- He takes off . . .
- He’s hauling tiny posterior . . .
I swing the camera to the feeder, setting up for his arrival . . .
- A hummer is already sitting there, enjoying the sugary water I provide.
- The Rufous arrives . . .
- . . . and aggressively chases the other one away.
- It’s not interested in drinking . . . it’s just guarding the feeder. Having chased the other hummingbird away, he pauses, then returns to his perch on the tree.
They are cute, they are beautiful, but maddeningly territorial. And selfish. And mean.
There are a lot of photos in the associated SmugMug gallery (HERE). In fact, there are 180 photos. I will try to give a representative sample in this post, but hummingbird lovers should definitively check out the gallery (he says, knowing full well not 1-in-20 will bother). Those who do will enjoy larger photos with greater detail and better colors.
Some of the photos are from where I work. We hang four feeders in the windows (my office does not have a window), and those feeders get a lot of use. I don’t take many pictures of the hummers from work, but sometimes the opportunity presents itself.
- There too, they stand guard.
- . . . and when they see another hummer at the feeders, they go in their torpedo mode, and haul tiny posteriors to chase them off.
Most shots are from my yard.
- One of our flower baskets got frequent visits.
- Here’s one sampling one of the Geraniums.
But mostly, I would catch them sampling the sugar water:
- I like the reflection from the feeder.
The difficulty was catching them in flight. I wasted many a pixels snapping at birds with reaction times faster than the shutter of the camera.
- That’s right . . . more often than not, they would move at the sound of the mirror of my D7000 lifting.
- That’s why many of the pictures of them on the feeders are of the bird leaning away or flapping its wings. In this particular shot, the motion adds to the composition (or at least I think so).
The majority of these shots are from around the feeders. At the peak of the migration hummingbirds are less fussy about me hanging around with the camera, and more concerned with having aerial battles with other hummingbirds.
- Some suggest it is my naturally sweet disposition that keeps them calm as I snap away.
- Often, a bit of wind provides a dit of diversity in the shots.
It should be noted I’m mostly picking the photos showing light reflecting brilliant colors from their plumage.
- Sometimes it’s only a couple of feathers.
- Sometime it’s flashes of feathers in flight.
The windows feeders are often in the shade, so the reflections are muted . . . but still interesting in their detail.
- This gal was not too sure what to make of the guy with the expensive photo equipment.
- . . . ignoring him is apparently the default option.
My mental image of feathers is of a lot denser and finer construction. The hummingbird feathers seem sparse, and and finely constructed
- Another “reaction to the shutter noise” shot . . .
- Followed by the “what are you looking at, punk?” look.
Occasionally, more so later in the season, there are multiple hummingbirds on the feeders. It’s an uneasy truce, with the birds nervously eying each other.
- And me, of course.
Here’s the close-ups of the above shot.
- These birds have mastered the “stern look”.
- This one is more leery of the other bird than it is of me. It’s leaning over as if to whisper “That dude looks crazy. You’ll protect me, right?”
That’s the interesting thing about hanging around the feeders. The more aggressive birds tend to not want to come around when I’m there, although some do make wide passes at the feeders.
Me being there gives the more timid birds the come and feast.
- Although they too occasionally display warnings to adjacent birds.
- Another bird caught in mid “what’s that shutter noise” reaction.
With so many pictures, I catch the occasional “different shot”.
- The mid-blink
- The full blink
- The three-quarters “Oh no, you didn’t!” look
But mostly I catch them keeping an eye out for incoming birds.
- Looking right . . .
- Looking left . . .
- Up there! In the sky! It’s a killer drone, it’s a UFO, it’s a fly . . . No, it’s Selfish Hummingbird!
The Calliope Hummingbirds are the most difficult to capture. They are nervous nillies who take flight at the slightest movement.
- This one sat for aa few moments before taking off.
I do try to capture hummingbirds on the wing, and occasionally succeed. However, when airborne, they seldom stand still.
- But when I do catch them, it’s a visual treat. Head perfectly still as their wings slice at the surrounding air with incredible speed.
Most people miss seeing hummingbirds, even though they are all around. In part, that’s because they are small, but also because they blend in.
- This one is somewhat in the open.
I do like how intent they look . . .
- “This better be organic sugar water!”
- Even when busy looking pretty.
- Sometime the light plays just right, and the feathers really light up.
- As the angle changes, the feathers can take on different highlights.
- This is me playing with the Lightroom adjustments.
- But the hummingbirds themselves will adjust the way the feathers are angled to “flash” potential rivals.
- Or as warning to photographers who get too close.
- Occasionally, the desire to fuel up in preparation for their incredible migration overrides the competitive urges, and they share . . .
- But, the truces don’t last long.
- Much like humans, they have a tendency to want it all for themselves, even though there is actually plenty for all, and more than any could consume.
- So, more than half the time at the feeders is actually spent not filling up, but chasing others away.
- Here’s another Calliope, this one peeking around the feeder bottle to see what I’m doing.
- This one gave me plenty of opportunities to get decent photos.
- I was worried I would go the whole summer without getting a good photo of these guys.
Rufouses are also difficult to capture.
- This one was perched on the neighbors’ trees, guarding the three feeders it could see from there.
- Of all the hummingbirds we get, they look the meanest.
- But they are also the more striking.
- Especially when they sit still.
- . . . or flexing their pects.
- The lady is not impressed.
- But she is pretty, what with her ruby necklace, and all.
- “Hey, look at me!! . . . Bling all over!”
- “Is this shiny, or what?”
- “And look!! . . . I bend my neck, and I can change the color!!”
“How cool is that!!”
- “WHOA!!”
I mentioned sometimes a couple of hummers tolerate their mutual presence at a feeder . . .
- Ahhh . . . a peaceful moment at the feeder.
- “Screw that!” says one.
- I watched as one came at the other one . . . who chose to make a stand.
I missed the actual contact, but here is the result . . .
- “You don’t mess with the Humminator!!”
That was the first time I saw actual contact between hummingbirds. Up to then, I assumed all of the charges, aggressive behavior, and bravado was just that . . . no more than posturing. Not so.
The very next day I was clearing weeds from one of the back flower beds when I saw a hummingbird hovering near the fork of a tree. I could not figure out what it was doing, but it kept going back and forth at the tree. Then, it went all the way, and pokes a hummingbird I had not seen right off its perch. Again, feathers flew.
Mean little bastards!!
- This is by far the more typical scenario . . . wings flapping, lots of chirping, and not much actual aggression.
Well, if you made it all the way here, you might as well watch the movies.
First up, an un-edited 10 minutes at one of the feeders.
Second, aclose-up view. Originally 10 minutes, now not quite 10 minutes as I cut out some “nothing’s happening” times.
And yet another edited down to five minutes (5:35).
And this one has a sequence of a bee chasing hummingbirds away from the feeder (between the halfway and three-quarters mark).
OK, if you made it this far, you might as well go look at the SmugMug gallery (HERE) . . . because you are obviously desperate for more hummingbirds.
Thanks for perusing my stuff.
<><><><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><><><>
About awards: Blogger Awards About “likes”: Of “Likes”, Subscriptions, and Stuff
Note: to those who may click on “like”, or rate the post; if you do not personally hear from me, know that I am sincerely appreciative, and I thank you for noticing what I do.
. . . my FP ward . . . chieken shit.
Disperser Tracks 