Sunday, September 25, 2011

Hummingbirds

Today was a great day for hummingbird photography! They are preparing to fly south for the winter and are very possessive of their feeders! I saw three hummingbirds today, but two of them had staked a claim. One in the front and one in the back.

I walked out on the patio today when I let the dog out and noticed that this hummingbird didn't budge from the branch. Of course I immediately went inside to get the camera! I wanted to see how close I could get before it flew away. I got probably within three feet! It was drizzling rain, but I didn't care!I stood in the rain taking pictures!

This juvenile male staked claim to the feeder by the front porch. Since it was raining I sat on the front porch in my rocker to photograph this one. He had much prettier coloring anyway and the Japanese maple made a beautiful backdrop. Notice his beak?

It's twisted! It doesn't seem to hinder his eating. Once today while he was eating, another hummingbird flew right into him and knocked him to the ground! That was a sight to witness from just a few feet away! I never tire of watching these guys. It makes me sad to think that my time with them is almost over for the year. Each morning I watch for them wondering if the day before was the last. I count it a little blessing when I have just one more day to enjoy their antics.

My husband walked by the sliding glass doors Friday and said, "There is a big bug out there that you might want to see." He knows me well, doesn't he? I immediately walked over and saw this dragonfly lying on its back. I wasn't sure if it was dead or alive, but I assumed it must have hit the glass doors. I slid the door open and stepped back to take the picture. About the time I got the first shot my daughter's, indoor only, cat spotted the bug and the open door and started to bolt. Startled, I screamed! Between my screaming and the cat lunging, we scared the dragonfly. Thankfully it was able to right itself and zip away and thankfully I caught the cat before she escaped!

14 comments:

Ruth Hiebert said...

Enjoy those Hummers,they have all left here.

Cloudia said...

glad the creature flew away at last :-)


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A Garden of Threads said...

Our hummingbirds have left for the winter, enjoy the ones you have. Fantastic shots Robin.

Unknown said...

Wow what great shots. Our humming birds are getting ready to move on too. They are so much fun to have around in the summer.

Indie said...

Beautiful photos! The hummingbirds must be such a joy to have around!

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

Your hummers are different than mine here in NC....our males have a total ruby throat and a darker head than the females and the females don't have red at all.

Your pictures are stunning!

Karin / Southern Meadows said...

I love watching the hummers too! They will be leaving in a few weeks so I am enjoying watching their antics everyday! Your photos are incredible. They are so hard to photograph since they never stay still for long. The one with the twisted beak is interesting. I wonder how that happened? Glad that dragonfly made it too!

Gail said...

Goodness but you capture the bestest hummer photos! Love them. gail

Anonymous said...

Hummers are great entertainers for sure. Your photographs are excellent as usual.

The Giraffe Head Tree said...

OMG, Robin....what a great opportunity for you - those hummer images are fantastic!!! Love the little twisted beak, and I'm happy the dragonfly was able to fly away. Great post!

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Great photos Robin. It will be interesting to see if your hummer with the twisted bill returns next year. You at least would be able to identify it if it does due to the bill shape. i have never seen a hummer knock another to the ground. I have never seen a bug window strike either. Interesting things are happening around the Robins Nest. Thanks for sharing.

Jayne said...

We've never had so many hummingbirds as we have this year. For the first time ever, I've seen several of them at the same feeder, instead of one chasing all the others away. They have kept me endlessly entertained and I too will miss them when they head south.

Rosemary said...

Fantastic shots of the hummers.Rain or not. Made me smile at the screaming. So something I would do....

Leena Lloyd said...

Wow Robin ! Your photography is excellent and you have captured nature,oh so well ! Living in the Middle East - Oman,your virtual paradise is a feast for our eyes (me n Joanna - my 4 yr old)!