"A Hovering Surprise" Rufous Hummingbird Female Flying at Birkenhead Lake Provincial Park BC 06Aug2011
To my surprise, as I pursued a Hummingbird Clearwing Moth with my camera, following the little critter closely, an actual hummingbird made an appearance. The female Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) silently hovered about the densely-floriated patch of fireweed in which I stood, looking for some blossoms in which to sip nectar. I managed to snap a few shots before she decided that I stood too close to all the available flowers and flitted off to quieter pastures.
One aspect that I like about this particular shot is that the the hummingbird’s tail-feathers are spread out beautifully. Often, when in flight, these feathers are closed. I believe I caught the hummingbird using her tail as an air-brake. She probably did not want to get any closer to me.
"A Hovering Surprise" Rufous Hummingbird Female Flying at Birkenhead Lake Provincial Park BC 06Aug2011
To my surprise, as I pursued a Hummingbird Clearwing Moth with my camera, following the little critter closely, an actual hummingbird made an appearance. The female Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) silently hovered about the densely-floriated patch of fireweed in which I stood, looking for some blossoms in which to sip nectar. I managed to snap a few shots before she decided that I stood too close to all the available flowers and flitted off to quieter pastures.
One aspect that I like about this particular shot is that the the hummingbird’s tail-feathers are spread out beautifully. Often, when in flight, these feathers are closed. I believe I caught the hummingbird using her tail as an air-brake. She probably did not want to get any closer to me.