Hummingbirds, anyone?

[Deja Q]

[EstimatedProphet]

1. Very nice pictures!

[KitchenWitch]

2. How'd ya catch em with your camera

They are always gone before my shutter goes down.

[Deja Q]

5. ISO 200 @ 1/2000th second shutter, aperture 13f, 600mm lens, bright outdoor conditions...

As there's no inexpensive external flash unit to light up the area, I am compelled to use the sun. The angle of the sun along with position of ambient objects (trees, house, et al) allows for only roughly a one hour window of opportunity, and even then some shots were marred by annoying shadows. With time and photoshop, I can probably remove them...

Sony a100 digital camera BTW. It uses the same sensor as a few Nikon D-SLRs, costs less, and works with my previous Minolta lenses and flash (though my external flash, while immensely powerful, only works up to 1/125 shutter time for syncing.)

[Xipe Totec]

45. Show off!

:evilgrin:

[Critters2]

3. I saw one today

when I was out in the yard with the beagle!! At first, I thought it was a katydid, but it got closer, and *VOILA*!! A hummingbird!! They are SO amazing!!

Thanks for sharing!

[SPKrazy]

4. great shots toadster

:woohoo:

:hi:

[Beausoir]

6. Very nice. They are extremely aggressive little buggers when their territory is challenged.

And..they sing. I didn't know that until I went out to Colorado and witnessed firsthand, the turf wars and bitching they did.

Very cool creatures.

[Beausoir]

7. Dupe. Delete.

[Kali]

8. nice and even with my crappy, too dark, fading monitor!

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

9. God I'm Jealous. What Beautiful Pics!

I've always wanted to have hummingbirds in my backyard so I can see them up close. Saw one a few weeks ago at my mothers, but I couldn't get nearly as close to it as you did in those shots. Since I was a kid I've considered hummingbird's to be one of the planets most absolutely fascinating creatures.

Seriously cool pics though. What kind of camera?

[Deja Q]

13. Thanks! And the camera used was a

Sony DSLR-A100. :D Got the body itself for $650, and it uses all my Minolta lenses and flash units...

[lost-in-nj]

10. Beautiful, just beautiful

:hug: :hug:

thanks

lost
on edit:
the second picture is priceless

he knows you are taking his picture...
and posed....

thank you again

[lizziegrace]

11. Very nice!

my favorite bird. :)

[Bravo Zulu]

12. ruby throat at feeder

[Deja Q]

14. His throat is as red as the feeder!

:D

I especially dig the 2nd pic; he knows you're looking at him. (I'm presuming it's a male, but I really wouldn't know where to look to determine which gender is which...)

[sarge43]

25. Adult Ruby Throated males have the red bib,

The Ruby Throats are the only hummers which visit eastern North America. There have been reports of Rufus hummers in the east, but few and far between.

[Roon]

27. We get rufus late in the season

They are so mean!!!!

[sarge43]

29. So are the Rubies

I've watched some hair raising cage matches. Those flying jewels are psycho.

If I may know Roon, where do you live?

[Roon]

34. I live in Denver

but the cabin we have where the hummers are, is about an hour drive away.

[sarge43]

35. I envy you.

You should be seeing all the different kinds coming up from Mexico and Central America. All we see in New England are the Rubies who come across the Gulf from Mexico - amazing journey.

[CTyankee]

40. The poem I posted downthread is about one of the New England

Rubies, I think. Can you tell by the description in the poem?

[sarge43]

46. I would say Rubies. As noted, they've been the only hummers

which routinely work the northeast. Perfect description of the little maniacs.

[CTyankee]

54. That's the utter genius of Emily Dickenson. Before cameras, we had her! n/t

[sarge43]

55. Yup. She had the seeing eye and the listening heart. n/t

[Maestro]

15. Awesome captures!

You seem to be enjoying the new camera. :thumbsup:

[stuntcat]

16. wow beautiful!

:headbang:

[Thirtieschild]

17. We're on the summer/fall migration rounte

Three feeders, still going through a gallon of sugar water a day. Husband says their territorial fights are like watching the Battle of Britain.

[Lost4words]

31. Its true, I love the beak to beak spiral upward action they do.

We love our new home in Nuevo Mexico!

[legally blonde]

18. beautiful pics, hypnotoad!

I love hummingbirds - they are such amazing little creatures. I saw four or five of them this weekend when I was visiting my parents - she has a feeder attached to the kitchen window. But there's no way I would have been able to get such amazing pictures!

[DarkTirade]

19. Sorry, I'm full.

Oh, you mean you just wanted to show pictures of them... :)

I saved a hummingbird once. It managed to fly directly into the screen around our back porch when I was a kid, and its beak was juuuuust thin enough to go through the screen. But it got stuck. Poor thing was flapping its wings, trying to get out. I'm sure I scared the hell out of it too, but I ever so gently go ahold of it and pulled it out. It flew away, free as a bird.

And I'm sure somewhere out there, a hummingbird is telling its kids a nighttime story about how grandma got stuck in a nearly invisible wall, and a giant monster showed up and tried to grab her, and was about to eat her when she escaped.

Or maybe not, I don't think hummingbirds actually tell stories to their kids. Still, I'd like to think it realized I was helping and that wasn't an aborted atempt to eat it. :)

[jgraz]

47. And those little beaks get stuck in your teeth

[MissHoneychurch]

20. Hummingbird insect

[GenDem]

36. I had one in my garden about a month ago!

He was very unusual. A Hummingbird Moth.


:hi:

[Deja Q]

21. One egocentric kick

:)

[texas1928]

22. You know why they hum?

Cause they don't know the words.


HA HA HA HA


:hide:

[YellowRubberDuckie]

23. Those are fantastic....

Those little guys never stop...I can't believe you actually caught that one. Rock on.
Duckie

[Critters2]

24. I saw another one this morning.

They're amazing!!

[Roon]

26. We have hummers at the cabin

If you put your hand up by the feeder, they will land on your hand and eat!

[pitohui]

28. wow very nicely done! EOM

[riona]

30. Wonderful. She's a little beauty

Check out this site for more of them:

http://www.gcbo.org/

[BarenakedLady]

32. Great pics Hypno!

I love them.

:loveya:

[RubyDuby in GA]

33. There is a Hummingbird Festival every year where I live

Neat gathering

http://www.gahummerphotos.org/wp-gallery2.php?g2_itemId=493

[GenDem]

37. My adults have left, but I have 5 or 6 juveniles

They are so cute, and almost seem to be playing with each other. They are also very curious and hover right in front of us as if they're checking us out.
In another week they, too will be gone. It's always sad for me when I don't see them anymore. I get very attached to the wildlife in my surroundings.

[BikeWriter]

38. Mmm, beautiful! Those were fast shots!

[CTyankee]

39. Here is a description in verse

A Route of Evanescence
With a revolving Wheel-
A Resonance of Emerald-
A Rush of Cochineal-
And every Blossom on the Bush
Adjusts its tumbled Head-
The mail from Tunis, probably,
An easy Morning's Ride-

Guess who wrote it? No fair googling.

[truedelphi]

42. Has an Emily Dickinson type quality

But I'm doubting there were Hummingbirds in New England in those days before Global Warming

[CTyankee]

43. It's amazing, but Emily Dickinson's researchers say there were.

Apparently the ruby breasted ones.

She actually wrote one other poem in which the hummingbird plays a role:

Within my Garden, rides a Bird
Upon a single Wheel --
Whose spokes a dizzy Music make
As 'twere a travelling Mill --

He never stops, but slackens
Above the Ripest Rose --
Partakes without alighting
And praises as he goes,

Till every spice is tasted --
And then his Fairy Gig
Reels in remoter atmospheres --
And I rejoin my Dog,

And He and I, perplex us
If positive, 'twere we --
Or bore the Garden in the Brain
This Curiosity --

But He, the best Logician,
Refers my clumsy eye --
To just vibrating Blossoms!
An Exquisite Reply!

[sarge43]

44. Hummers live high up in the Andres.

Cold doesn't bother them so long as there are flowering plants supplying nectar. One of their favorite goodies here in NE is bee balm (Monarda didyma) which has been around since at least the 1770's. It's the source of Oswego tea, the substitute for China tea favored by the Yankees following that regrettable misunderstanding in Boston Harbor.

[jgraz]

48. You mean they live in this guy?

[sarge43]

49. If you were brave to dig through that hair do, you might find a nest the

the size of an egg cup, a momma hummer and her baby. Like all birds, they are opportunists. :)

[jgraz]

51. The really sad part?

Knock off 200 lbs and 16 inches, add an urban cowboy snap shirt and you have my high school year book picture.

Yeah, I was a real lady killer back in the day. :rofl:

[sarge43]

52. I know, jgraz, I know.

My nephew sent me my picture from my year book. OMG. That's why I wiped the memory tapes of that unfortunate era.

[Canuckistanian]

41. I still have my hummingbirds

This is the latest they've EVER stayed. They're usually gone by Sept. 1st or earlier.

Well, I shouldn't put that in the plural. I have ONE female who comes to my feeders now. But there have been plenty of "rogues" and a few males sneaking drinks.

Here's my female from last year.

[Fire Walk With Me]

50. Great photos, Hypno!

[Lex]

53. Beautiful!

Thanks for posting them.

[applegrove]

56. They are so cute!