Category Archives: Hummingbirds
Hummingbird His and Her’s
His
Isn’t this male ruby throated hummingbird handsome? He showed off his bright color as he approached the feeder for a drink of nectar.
Below, is a beautiful female hummingbird. She put on an air show fluttering around the same feeder for sweet nectar!
Her’s
I haven’t yet been able to capture a picture of two birds at the feeder at the same time. But, maybe this will be the summer it happens! The little birds will be around into September!
Sweet Sugar Water
Sweet
This tiny Ruby Throated Hummingbird was a nectar seeking visitor this past summer. He, and these other hummingbirds who stopped by, sure loved the sweet sugar water! It must have compared to the the natural sweetness of honeysuckle growing on the nearby fence!
I love watching these sweet little birds every summer. This past summer, I spotted them from July 10th until September 16th. They come and go like clockwork! You can see more Hummingbird pictures by clicking on the Hummingbird header at the top of my page!
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Posted for the daily post weekly photo challenge: sweet
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Tiny Birds
Tiny Hummingbird
Hummingbird Gallery
I just love the tiny hummingbird! This year, the little birds graced my backyard from July 12th to September 15th. To be so small, they sure brought me big joy! Every sighting brought a thrill. To be able to watch the tiny birds zoom in and out of the yard in all their amazing beauty was a gift. The birds that come here to Virginia are Ruby Throated hummingbirds. Here is a sampling of the birds that came to visit this year.
These tiny birds, of about 3 inches in size, can fly as fast as 60 miles per hour and flap their wings up to 70 times in a second! They migrate to Mexico and return each year around the same time. To see more of my hummingbird posts, you can click on the hummingbird header at the top of my page! You can see some other birds by going to the birds header! Enjoy the view!
***posted for the daily post weekly photo challenge: tiny
Streaks of Transition
Transition
This week, the daily post photo challenge is to share a photo that depicts Transition.
I was fascinated by the little hummingbirds that came by my feeder this summer. I am not a hummingbird expert; however, judging by the dark streaks on his throat, I believe this bird to be a young male in transition to an adult male. The young males and females have white throats. When this young bird comes back next year, he will be boasting a glorious, ruby red throat!
I also captured this bird in transition from flight to landing. This was not an easy thing to do since the tiny birds can streak across the sky at 60 miles per hour! I was glad that the faint lines of his wings in flight were visible in the photo.
If you are interested in seeing some more of my Ruby Throated hummingbird pictures, you can click on the Hummingbird header at the top of the page.
Bird School (One Word Photo Challenge-Ant)
When I saw that the theme for JNW’s One Word Photo Challenge this week was “ant,” I was momentarily stumped. I knew that my options would be limited. I had tried to take a close up of an ant this summer with less than satisfactory results and the photos were deleted. Thanks, or no thanks, to cooler temperatures, there are no ants lurking around. So, what was I to do?
I started scrolling through some pics from the summer when I remembered how I often cropped ants out of my hummingbird pictures. Sure enough, there were a few photos remaining with a tiny ant in the background.
I decided to pinpoint the ant in my photo using the Over App. In reviewing the photo, I decided that it looked like the hummingbird was studying the text identifying the target ant. The bird looks to be a serious student, concentrating intently on the lesson about ants! I do believe that hummingbirds may eat ants although I have not seen it for myself.
I like to think this ant made it safely from the feeder, leaving the hummingbird to his nectar feast!
Hummingbird Gem
Little Gem
I thought the hummingbirds had already headed south. When another blogger, suburbanferndaleark, posted an action picture of two hummingbirds, I made the comment that I hadn’t seen any of the tiny birds at my house for several days. I was missing the satisfaction of glimpsing their long beaks, glistening feathers and furtive glances through the camera lens.
This week, I was elated to discover that hummingbirds were still coming to the feeder in my dogwood tree! I saw this little gem resting on a branch, preening its feathers between drinks of nectar. She would zip in, hover, flutter around the feeder and drink her fill.
She put on quite an airshow! I was happy that I was able to capture this picture!
As long as the birds keep stopping by, fresh nectar will be waiting, and I will be enjoying the show.
*posted for writing101 and photo entered into Lucile’s photo101rehab
The Backyard Bunch-Hummingbird Posers
Ruby Throat
I was pleased to see a male Ruby Throated Hummingbird come by the feeder! I like to think it is the same bird I first saw last year, named “Herman Byrd.” I know that these cool birds do go back to the same place year after year. In my heart, it is Herman.
There is also a little female bird that flutters and hovers around the feeder. I think it is the same tiny bird, creatively named “Tiny”, that showed the same characteristics last year.
Tiny Bird
I am obsessed with the fast birds and wish I could take better action pictures! I like these blurry bird photos anyway!
Hover
Flutter
Yesterday, I saw the two birds flying near the feeder at the same time, so I hope I can get a double bird photo too. Wish me luck!
Hummingbird Visitor
I happened to see my hummingbird resting on a branch just in time to capture its photo. If you look closely you can see its tongue sticking out past its long beak! While it may be a juvenile male bird, I believe this to be a female based on its white tipped, fan shaped tail feathers and white throat.
The little bird came by the feeder many times tonight and I am happy to know it makes return visits for nectar.
I am feeling snap-happy and will be sure to post more pictures later! I hope you all can appreciate these special birds like I do.
*I like the first picture so much I am entering it into Lucile’s Photo Rehab Clinic. I was ready with camera zoom, cropped the original photo to come in even closer and applied the sunset light feature using camera+.
Be Amazed Again-Hummingbird Return
Hummingbird Return!
YAY! Finally! I saw the first hummingbird of the season in my backyard last night and when it returned tonight at around the same time, I was ready with my camera!
I had never seen a hummingbird until last year and I fell in love with the little birds! I introduced my blog last August with some of the first posts being about my search for a hummingbird. I watched for the birds each evening, using binoculars for close up views. Seeing the vivid ruby throat was astonishing. I took a picture as proof of my sighting and you can see the very tiny bird image here.
Now, I have a camera with zoom capability, hence this close up picture. I took two blurry pictures and this featured picture before it flew away. In my excitement, I was lucky to get this shot.
I remain amazed at the beauty of the little birds. Hopefully, I will be able to capture some more pictures, including the glorious ruby throated male. Let the summer viewing begin!
(I am also posting this into Lucile’s Photo Rehab Clinic as my best hummingbird photo yet!)
Watching and Waiting
Hummingbird Ready!
Last August, I decided to hang a hummingbird feeder in my backyard. It was late in the season, but I had never seen a hummingbird, and I was hopeful that I would finally see one.
To my amazement, a tiny bird arrived the very next day! Trust me when I say I was thrilled to see him. Binocular views showed him to be a male ruby throated hummingbird. He was beautiful. I named him Herman. Several birds, including females, hovered around the feeder until it was time to migrate south.
I was excited to get photographic evidence of my very first sighting using my i phone. But without a zoom, I was only able to catch a very tiny silhouette of Herman. This year, I am ready; I have a camera that can zoom up closer to the feeder now.
Sugar-water nectar is in the hanging feeder and I even bought a painted lady hibiscus to welcome Herman home. There has already been a hummingbird sighting reported in my town. I continue to watch and wait. Maybe today will be the day!
the beespeak 