Posts in Category: hummingbird
Flying Ruby
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: Kennebunk, Maine, August 2025 — Of course the real challenge is to get the hummingbirds in flight. It is not nearly as hard as it used to be, before bird recognition, eye-tracking, auto focus. Now days it is just a matter of patience (and a bit of hand-eye coordination that comes with practice). And of course totally dependent on how cooperative the hummer is. 🙂 So still a gift really, despite our fancy equipment. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Ruby
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, August 2025 — I sat in the open deck doorway for an hour yesterday afternoon to see if the Ruby-throated Hummingbird was in a mood to cooperate. I wanted the adult male with his gorget showing, of course. For the first half hour the young male and the adult spent a lot of time keeping each other way from the feeder, but as afternoon drew on, and the need to fill the tanks before night became more urgent, they begin to be better at taking turns. The adult posed nicely right in front of me, and then the young bird came in to try to drive him from his perch. This is part of the interaction. The adult was not in the mood to move. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Not so Ruby-throat
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, August 2025 — We still have Ruby-throats coming to the feeder. This appears to be a young male, probably this year’s brood. The adult and this bird are having a grand old time keeping eachother from the feeder. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Not a ho hummer!
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2025 — Lousy light is often the best light for hummingbirds, if you want to catch the gorget in all its glory. The day stated overcast and dull yesterday, but, for the first time this summer the male Ruby-throat was very active around the feeder, and was posting guard on the little branches we have fixed to the deck for perches, and I had time to watch it and get some photographs. They needed treatment for noise in post, but the gorget is as good as I have ever seen it. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Volcano
Volcano Hummingbird: Batsu Gardens, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, March 2025 — One of the two smallest hummingbirds (with the very similar Scintillated) in the mountains of Costa Rica. This one was working the flowers around the observation deck at Batsu, high above the Savegre River on the mountain side. Despite being only small, they are totally fearless. 🙂 Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Mountain Gem
White-throated Mountain Gem: Miriam’s Quetzals Cafe, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, March 2025 — There is a little Cafe halfway down the sharp mountain valley of the Savegre River, perched on a little shelf high above the water, where they serve good food and coffee and where the birds of the cloud forest come close. One of my favorite spots in the world. 🙂 This is an aptly named White-throated Mountain Gem…a gem indeed, and at home in mountains of Central America and Costa Rica. I am always so happy to encounter one. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator. (The Cafe had a new name when I was last there in March…but it is still Miriam’s Quetzals to me.)
Male and female White-necked Jacobin Hummingbird
Male and female White-necked Jacobin Hummingbird: Dave and Dave’s Costa Rican Nature Park, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, March 2025 — On the day we visited, the White-necked Jacobins were dominating the hummingbird vista at Dave and Dave’s. They are the most aggressive of the local hummers, and some days, they are all you see. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds-in-flight and action modifications. (1/2000th). Processed in Photomator. Assembled in FrameMagic.
Female Green-crowned Brilliant
Female Green-crowned Brilliant: Mirador y Soda Cinchona, San Jose, Costa Rica, March 2025 — The hummingbirds were not very active around the feeders at Cinchona, compared to previous visits, but this was my first trip in March so I did not know exactly what to expect. Mario, our guide, did say that feeder activity was unusually low the past few weeks for some unknown reason. This is a female Green-crowned Brilliant…probably the most plentiful hummer at mid-elevations. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Violet Saberwing
Violet Saberwing: Mirador y Soda Cinchona, San Jose, Costa Rica, March 2025 — The hummingbirds were not particularly active around the feeders at Cinchona this visit, but we did have our only opportunity to photograph the mid-elevation Violet Saberwing…one of the two largest of Costa Rican hummingbirds, only rivaled by the Talamanca of higher elevations. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Costa Rica! Coppery
Coppery-headed Emerald Hummingbird: Mirador ye Soda Cinchona, San Jose, Costa Rica, December 2024 — One of only two endemic hummingbirds of Costa Rica, and the only one that I have seen…almost exclusively at Mirador ye Soda Cinchona. The relatively small Coppery-headed Emerald is closely related to the Snow-cap and some authorities place it in that otherwise lonely genus. This one only showed up after we had pretty much packed up to leave. I am glad we delayed just a little longer. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii @ 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.