Posts in Category: hummingbird
Maine! — Ruby-throats
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds: York County, Maine, USA, August 2023 — we have unprecedented numbers of hummingbirds coming to our feeder this week. We have at least one male, one sub-adult male, and half a dozen “female/immature” types — often up to 4 around the feeder at the same time. The male and what I assume is an immature male are both attempting to guard the feeder from perches in the Maple tree above the deck. These shots were not in the best of light…early, on a rainy day, but they were all taken standing in our open deck door within 30 minutes of each other. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. Females at ISO 12800 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th, males at ISO 5000 and 4000 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
New Mexico! Burning Rufous
Rufous Hummingbird: Randall Davey Audubon Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico, July 2023 — I went back to Randall Davey Audubon Center in the foothills above Santa Fe a second day, with the specific purpose of catching more birds away from the feeders. This Rufous Hummingbird was guarding a feeder and had three perches, two of them in tall pines up the hill, and one in brush at the corner of the building…close enough for detail shots. Catching the gorget flashing was another whole thing! I managed a few shots. OM System OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 800 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
New Mexico! That other rufous…
Rufous Hummingbird: Randall Davey Audubon Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, July 2023 — If you have spent time around Rufous Hummingbirds, you have seen the “other” iridescent color of the Rufous gorget. The light has to be just right but that green flash is pretty striking…it is most often seen in indirect light, when the bird is in the shade. It is rare to see it as you do in this photo, with strong illumination. OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 2000 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
New Mexico! Rufous Hummingbird
Female or sub-adult male Rufous Hummingbird: Randell Davey Audubon Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico, July 2023 — There were all most as many of these birds at the Randell Davey Audubon Center in the foothills above Santa Fe as there were full adult males, though they were not “guarding” feeders. I am sure some of them were females, but some were probably sub-adult males. OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 250 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
New Mexico! Rufous Hummingbird in the shade.
Rufous Hummingbird: Randall Davey Audubon Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, July 2023 — I went up to the Randall Davey Audubon Center in the foothills above Santa Fe to photograph birds around the gardens and feeders. The Audubon Center never disappoints. The feeders attract many of the birds of that elevation, and a good selection of New Mexico Hummingbirds. This is the season in New Mexico when Rufous often dominate the feeders and I found both adult male and immature birds guarding feeders. I tracked this one down to its perch in the deep shade of tall bush, right between two feeders. It was apparently trying to guard them both…but then that is the Rufous for you. 🙂 Note that in the subdued light of the interior of the bush, the gorget shows as much green as orange. OM Systems OM-1 at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 500 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
Maine! Hummer at the beach.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: York County, Maine, USA, July 2023 — I went down to the local beach yesterday…our first sunny day after several of steady rain…to see how the Piping Plovers and Terns are doing. I did not find any Piping Plovers, but they are well away from the nests now and it is a big beach 🙂 The terns were apparently fishing the marsh pools…or another river outlet. On the way back to my trike, however, I walked up on this Ruby-throated Hummingbird sitting on the top strand of the protective fence on the back side of the dunes, facing into the wind. I suspect it is a first year bird, on the way south already, stopping to rest up for the next leg of its journey. It was not in any hurry to move, and I had to walk around behind it to get to my trike, so, of course, I took some photos. An hour later, I saw two more hummers fly by, while photographing Egrets and Cedar Waxwings deeper in the marsh up along the bridle path parallel to the river, which, rightly or wrongly, reinforced the idea that at least some Ruby-throats are already headed south. OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f7.1 @ 1/1000th.
Costa Rica! Talamanca Hummingbird
Talamanca Hummingbird: Batsu Gardens, San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2022 — We will go back to Costa Rica this morning for another shot from the flower set-up at Batsu Gardens when we visited in December. This is a natural light photo in the failing light of an overcast afternoon, but still manages to catch the magic! Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 800 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Costa Rica! Lesser Violetear and Mountain Gem
Lesser Violetear and White-throated Mountain Gem hummingbirds: Batsu Gardens, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2022 — Another shot from the flower set up at Batsu Gardens last December. I have lots! This is a Lesser Violetear and a male White-throated Mountain Gem. There were way more Violetears than Mountain Gems. Sony Rx10iv at 493mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 2000 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Costa Rica! Another two for…
Female Volcano and Talamanca Hummingbirds: Batsu Gardens, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2022 — Another set of hummers from the flower shoot at Batsu Gardens. Same Female Volcano along with a Talamanca this time. I hope to be back at Batsu next December. (Anyone coming with me?) Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 1000 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Costa Rica! Two for the price
Female Volcano and Lesser Violet-ear Hummingbirds: Batsu Gardens, San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2022 — As the afternoon went on at Batsu gardens, Marino went out and picked some flowers from the gardens and brought them back to the edge of the upper terrace where he hung them on supports they have for that purpose and sprayed them with sugar water. The hummers came in for photographs! This is one of the first shots I took. That is a female Volcano Hummingbird and a Lesser Violet-ear. Over the next hour and a half, Marino tried different flowers and two different locations and we had a wonderful time photographing the hummers. It is kind of cheating, maybe, but then it looks much more natural than hummers at actual feeders. Sony Rx10iv at 586mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 400 @ f4 @ 1/500th.