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This little hummingbird regularly perched on a twig right outside our veranda; so I just lay on my lounger and fired away!
The light, alas, was overcast, but now and again the iridescent crest feathers would catch the light...
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We stayed about 50 miles outside of Yosemite, which made for a heckuva daily drive back and forth. However, there aren't many options close to the park and we wanted to stay in a B&B. We just didn't check that closely on the driving distance aforehand.
However, the B&B was situated in a gorgeous location, 9 miles southwest of Mariposa, California. They were *way* out in the country, and the place was swarming with hummingbirds. They are incredibly hard to photograph, as they flit around so fast. I didn't have that much time there to develop a predictive technique, but did get at least this one, crisp shot at the feeder. Makes me want to put one up in my yard.
It doesn't take long for a humming bird to appear in our garden now - of the 6 or 8 that visit the feeders regularly, you typically only have to wait 10-15 minutes for one to show up, so here is one taken as I was taking it easy in our garden this morning...
I typically upload in small sets - don't just look at the latest one in my photostream as you might be missing something you'll like more.... and your comments are ALWAYS welcome :)
© All rights reserved. John Krzesinski, 2009.
This series shows a pair of Anna's Hummingbirds Calypte Anna , who live here year-round. I think the Rufus Hummers, the other pair I see, leave in the winter. I'm always hoping to get better pix of the hummingbirds in my garden. There are so many important factors besides their speed and mine! Background is so important because they quite disappear with leaves as background. And good light, for their colors and iridescence - and also for a faster exposure because I'm always hoping to see some individual wing feathers - not just the blur of them moving. I sat in the garden reading yesterday and had several opportunities. What I wish now is that the female in the top photo of this series had been a male because this would have shown his ruby neck so well. A male is in the first photo below.
The Hummingbird Hawkmoth. This remarkable Lepidoptera is distributed throughout Africa, Asia, and northern Europe. It is a remarkable example of adaptive evolution. It possesses a long proboscis, its wings make a "humming" sound, and it actually hovers in mid-air when it feeds! All these factors mimic an actual hummingbird so well that they are often mistaken for them when seen! To extend this adaptive evolution even further, it flies even during the brightest parts of the day, as well as at dusk and dawn like other moths...and even when it is raining!
Their forewings are typically brown, with wavy black lines crossing them. Their hindwings are orange, with a black edge. Their abdomens are much broader than most moths of their size...further adding to their protective disguise. Their wingspan averages 1.8 in. (45 mm.). Their diet consists of nectar from plants such as honeysuckle and Red Valerian. Their disguise as hummingbirds is so effective that they have few natural predators. #ourbreathingplanet
Konica Hexanon 55mm f3.5 Macro Lens
In the original you can actually see me reflected in his eye taking the shot.
I had to hold still and get the bird to start ignoring me, luckily it liked to land on this twig whenever it wanted to take a break, I was able to shoot this from about a foot away - hence the feather detail.
Female White-eared Hummingbird photographed at Beatty's feeder station in Miller Canyon, Arizona on August 1, 2006.
© All rights reserved
Brad Carlson