I am usually interested in macho birds--raptors like hawks, eagles, and falcons. During the summer of 2006, I became very interested in a quite different type of bird. Would you believe, of all things, a hummingbird? From about mid-July until early September, I would see at least one hummingbird feeding on my trumpet vines. There were a few times when I saw two at a time, but usually only one. A female Ruby-throated Hummingbird. I had a blast photographing this little bird. One challenge with Hummingbirds is freezing the motion of their wings. However, what I found even more interesting is the unique poses that this hummingbird displayed.
One evening I positioned myself to try to get some flight shots. A few minutes earlier I saw the hummingbird flying around, but I lost track of her. As I was scanning the trumpet vine I saw her perched about 8 yards in front of me in great light. I was able to capture the show in the following images:
My work schedule didn't allow me to photograph from this evening spot very often. The weather doesn't always cooperate either. Twelve days later I went back to the same spot. A female Ruby-throated Hummingbird, possibly the same one landed in the same general area but a different perch. The lighting was different from the first evening, but the action still came. I waited for her to put on a show again and these two images were my favorite.
A week later, I went back to the same spot. The hummingbird was feeding on the trumpet vines, but didn't land on the perch until later in the evening. At first she just sat there looking goofy with pollen on her head. It was late August and I figured she could migrate any day. The light was fading quickly. I kept thinking one more pose, just one more pose. She finally did something special. It appeared that she was trying to catch small flying insects with her tongue. On the other hand, she might have been saying, "Here's one last pose for you!"
Using a digital camera, which I started using in early 2006, really helped with hummingbirds. It helped me to be able to see what exposure I needed. It also allowed me to shoot hundreds of photos without the cost of film. These are two of my favorite flight shots.
