Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Hummingbird and Hummingbird Moth


This evening I was sitting outside with my mom and dad when I spotted some activity at the hummingbird feeder. I was surprised to see two small hummingbird moths along with several hummingbirds. I was able to get pretty close to them but the pictures still didn't turn out too well since it was getting dark and I couldn't use the flash. The hummingbird moth almost landed on my camera a couple of times. I was surprised at how close I got, but it flits around so fast that it's nearly impossible to photograph. The hummingbird picture looks funny, almost fake, especially the wings, but that is how it turned out.I just lightened the shadows, cropped and sharpened it a bit.

Mother and I spent the night in Brown County and attempted to see Nashville and shop at the outlet mall in Edinburgh. I say attempted because her health isn't particularly good and the stifling heat was too much for her. So our trip was cut short but I still enjoyed the short time I had there.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

You did a great job of capturing the hummingbird moth. They are hard to photograph.

Carol Michel said...

Now that's a pretty insect! Good job on both pictures.

Isn't this heat just... well, hot! I'm looking forward to the weekend when the high is supposed to only get to 88

Carol at May Dreams Gardens

Connie said...

Nice photos! I have tried to catch a hummingbird moth on camera, but to no avail as of yet.

Robin (Bumblebee) said...

Hi Robin,

The hummingbird photo is incredibly detailed. I'm wondering, what lens did you use? I just bought a new 35mm SLR digital and have quite a lot to learn.

--Robin (Bumblebee)

Robin's Nesting Place said...

Pam, thanks. Yes, they are very fast and constantly on the move.

Carol, thank you. You were so right about the heat in the hollows at Nashville. Actually the heat is bad everywhere. I'm ready for fall.

Thank you, Connie, they are fast and hard to catch.

Robin's Nesting Place said...

Robin (bumblebee,) I didn't use an SLR camera. I used an older Sony F-717 that takes great photos; it's my favorite camera. I do have a digital SLR but I rarely use it.

Anonymous said...

Great pictures! My sister and I are heading to Indy on Saturday to hit all of the garden centers. Hopefully it will cool off by then. I hope they still have some sellable plants.

Paula said...

The wings make the bird look more like a fairy. Your close-ups are incredible!

Ki said...

Great photos of hard to capture creatures especially the hummingbird moths which constantly flit around, never still for long. I saw one once extending it's very long tongue. Pretty impressive.

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzen said...

Excellent pic of the moth and the bird as well. They move around so quickly it's hard to capture them. Well done!

Over here it is cool, yesterday it was only 16 degrees C which is cold for the time of year. Today the sun is out and it will be around 20-22 degrees C, so much cooler than where you live!

Diana said...

Thanks for the beautiful hummingbird moth picture. I just saw one in my garden and thought it was an actual baby hummer. My dad said he'd seen one that was a moth and we were wondering -- then I read your blog! I sent him the link and I am certain that this is what I saw on my buddlea last week! BTW, we are coming to Central Indiana on Tuesday for 9 days - my husband's family is just outside of Noblesville - they have a farm in Arcadia. They say you are really dry there. I love seeing the daylilies on the side of the road!

Robin's Nesting Place said...

Diana, we are very dry and it's been hot. Thankfully we are expecting cooler weather. Enjoy your visit!

Charley "Apple" Grabowski said...

Your pictures turned out great! I know how to crop but not to sharpen them up. Your's have great detail. I saw my first hummingbird moth this week too.