Summer Hummingbirds

[Wordworx]

These are amazing little birds---even if they're a bit feisty with each other around the feeders. They're almost as difficult to catch with a camera as butterflies, although the one cooperated by hovering right in front of me while I changed lenses.

[Joyful Jan]

Hi Roy,

These are beautiful, just very amazingly delicate and exquisite little hummers. You did an excellent job of photographing them.

Joyous Jan

[Wordworx]

Well, these are the best from two summers' worth of shooting them. There's one female I particularly want to catch. She's rather large for her size (I think she's about to lay eggs), but she comes to the feeders and drinks---then hangs upside-down from the perch! just looking around at everything. She's very comical.

And I'm glad you enjoyed seeing these, Jan.

Roving Roy

[Peggy Carpenter Harwood]

Wow, Roy!!! I certainly agree with Jan: They are indeed beautiful!!! So delicate and so fascinating. I rarely see hummingbirds as I don't feed them, but when I have seen them their wings were going so fast I think they would be very difficult to photograph. Thanks so much for posting these!!! I certainly did enjoy them too!!!

Peggy

[Wordworx]

It takes a shutter-speed of 1/5000th of a second to "freeze" the wing-motion, Peggy. However the trick is to vary the shutter-speed just enough so that the body is sharp and clearly defined, but that the wings have just a touch of blurring to give the impression of motion.

These rascals aren't as erratic in their flight as a butterfly, but they're still tough to capture in photos.

I'm glad you enjoyed these, ma'am!

Sun-roasted Roy

[Peggy Carpenter Harwood]

Hi Roy,

I am very impressed!! That is a miniscule fraction of a second!!! It's amazing they, living beings, have the capacity to move so rapidly, isn't it?

Tell me, does it take much time to keep a hummingbird feeder filled? And is their food liquid or solid? Watching them sounds like an interesting hobby!!!

Peggy

[Wordworx]

They have very fast metabolisms, Peggy; moreso than any other birds. That's why their young reach maturity in four to five weeks, and leave the nest; and yes, they're quite interesting to watch! They fuss at each other around the feeders with very high-pitched squeaks which is also comical.

The feeders take liquid formula, which can be purchased at many places; and feeders attract more of them than the flowers they usually prefer, because there's so much more for them feed upon. I've read that they must feed every ten to fifteen minutes, on the average.

A typical feeder, once filled, will usually last five to seven days (for six to eight birds. With this heat, however, I fill them only about a third of their capacity, because the excessive heat sours the formula so fast. I've tried hanging them under our pecan trees, but they seem to prefer them hanging off our rear porch-deck. However they also prey upon small insects and spiders to supplement their diet of nectar. For the nectar is mostly sugar.

Depending upon the species, they can flap their wings at 12 to 90 times per second. They can also fly at speeds exceeding 35 miles per hour! and are the only birds that can also fly backwards. Despite their rapid metabolism, American species live for 3 to 5 years; other species live up to a decade.

Bird-Watchin' Woy

[Peggy Carpenter Harwood]

Simply amazing, Roy!! I knew that some birds had a fast metabolism, but these birds are beyond belief!!!

Indelicate question: Do they leave a big mess?

Peggy

[Wordworx]

Decorous answer: not at all!

Rattletrap Roy

[DonQuixote]

I am impressed !

[Wordworx]

Why thank you, Doug!

It took two summers (and near two thousand shots) to get these few I've posted. My Canons are capable of taking eight frames per second, with a maximum shutter-speed of 1/8000th of a second; but even with today's new high-speed DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras, it's still a challenge with hummingbirds and butterflies in flight.

Canon Cowboy Roy

[Happy Dawn]

Good Morning Roy! I saw the word "Hummingbirds" while looking for someone's poem, so clicked on it and am sure glad I did. These photos are beautiful and you did a fine job shooting them Roy.
There were about five of them flying around the window here in front of me over and over this morning, just a little bit ago. There is a rose just about to open, guess that's why. I usually have my feeders up until October but have been slack in that area lately. I had a gorgeous indigo blue bunting this morning. Have you seen one? I hadn't until a couple of months ago, when a family of them decided to hang out here for a couple of weeks. What a delight it was to see them too.
Always enjoy your photos too Roy. Here is another hummer. Our cat, Kibbles almost got him another squirrel this morning. So glad he didn't.-Dawn

[haniel45]

Better late than never

Exquisite pictures, Mr. Roy!

We have a few that visit our gardenia bush from time-to-time.

We enjoy watching them; the girlie-cats love to sit in the window and watch them too.

and a
I realize I could look this up online. I don't feel like it at the moment. I'd rather see what you can come up with and take some time out of your life that you don't have:

Why do cats make those weird sounds when they are on the prey for birds? Or is that why they make those weird sounds?

I, too, pray for birds!

Peace ~ Lucinda K ~

[Wordworx]

My apologies, Dawn! I never got a notifier about your commentary post. A Blue Bunting, you say? I've never seen one, and have only heard of them on one occasion. They must be gorgeous! As to your cat, they are, by nature, predators after all. House cats seem to hunt more for sport than to feed themselves, however. One exception was Mephistopheles, the best barn-cat I ever had. He would never eat cat food I put out for him. He kept the barn and sheds completely clean of mice, rats, and even snakes! He was also friendly, but didn't like being coddled at all; as one of my past employers tried. I posted a comical story-poem here about the incident: "The Cat Who Came for Christmas."

Corny Roy

[Wordworx]

Howdy-day, Cindy!

I'm not absolutely positive, but it seems fairly common for cats to make that low rumbling noise when stalking birds. So it must be instinctual. Perhaps the birds cannot hear it . . . which would explain why one has never caught a turkey (to my knowledge). Wild turkeys have excellent sight and hearing, both! Yet cats are positively silent when after any other prey.

One of the Little Mysteries of Life, I suppose.

Roy the Rusticated