My hummingbirds continue to arrive. I'm going to have to buy another feeder this summer I think. I currently have 2 on my patio and one outside of my studio window next to my fountain in the front. On my back patio the birds will actually congregate more, the more feeders there are as the bully(s) end up running themselves ragged trying to defend against 18 feeding slots!
Hummingbirds only feed until dark, but I wanted to get some flash shots so I was able to shoot these at dusk. There were about 25 hummingbirds in the area and 5 or 6 or more were on this feeder at a time. There was another layer of birds hovering 3-4 feet outside of my viewfinder. The one little bird directly in the front stayed there and fed the entire 10 minutes that I was taking photos. I was afraid he wouldn't be able to fly when he was done!
If you've never seen hummingbirds in person, they make a humming sound when they fly, so I'm assuming that's how they got their name. They also squeak and high-pitched chirp at each other, they're quite noisy little guys. They are also fearless, they'll dive bomb a human if they're in the mood. They won't actually hit you, but will try to scare you off.
The more birds that come in, the easier it is to get close-up shots. They pay more attention to each other and I will actually be able to stand 2 feet away and get very close, close-ups. I really like the flash shots so I'll try getting some even closer shots as the summer goes by. Maybe I'll get lucky and catch the Rufous Hummingbird when he/she comes to feed one day.
Nancy's Kitchen readers, if you're looking for the Hummingbird nectar recipe it's 5 posts down. Thanks for visiting. My Aunt's the best isn't she?! She's my special person who's as dear as a mother, aren't I blessed?!
Audrey Jeanne Roberts
OMG, OMG, OMG–they love your nectar AJ…I’ve never seen so many
at one time. What a pretty (girly) feeder (he-he).
I’m so jealous AJ – mine aren’t back yet and we never get that many here.
I so love to sit on the porch and watch them. I’ve moved the feeders to the table next to my chair a few times and they still come to the feeder.
I’m so jealous – we never get this many here. I love to sit on the porch and watch them. I’ve moved the feeders to the table by our chairs and they still come and feed.
I am amazed how hard the little birds work at just staying stationary – I’ve heard they can fly up to 60 mph – I have not seen ours yet this year- but we never get as many as you do – and I’ve never had more than one on a feeder – they always fight so much!
Since everyone else is saying they are jealous I might as join the bandwagon. I have only had hummingbirds twice. They were attracted by the butterfly bush. Awesome pictures AJ. (Trust me, it’s nothing I’m doing, we’re just in the right place. There isn’t a lot of natural vegetation for them so they’re drawn to the garden, we’re cooler than much of the hot valley and I’m not sure what else is in play. In San Diego I had two hummingbirds one winter and none the others so I know how you feel! It’s fun though. AJ)
Those are awesome photos, AJ! I always thought I was lucky to see one hummingbird at a time!
They are just so pretty, I love watching “my” hummingbirds they are so interesting to watch. SOmetimes its hard to keep them fed.
Your photos are great, makes them birds like there are 4 different colors.
Oh Audrey, thank you for such a lovely photo. They are such beautiful little birds. I am so envious; I would love to see them in real life. I do wish we had them here.
I sure love seeing your pictures of these Hummingbirds. Fantastic pictures you have captured.
Thanks for sharing such great photos and insights. Loved the hummingbird pics.
Patsy
Oh my, these photos are so beautiful. I love to sit and watch these birds on my patio. Thank you for sharing these pictures.