Feeder shots (pics included)

[Tom Wilson]

Here are three shots from yesterday that I really like. They are of course feeder shots, as I have not found any flowers that grow to 17 feet high yet My feeders are located high above the ground above my deck. I do have a couple potted flowers that I keep on the deck, but they don't seem to like the flowers up that high, only the feeders.

[Dbl]

There is something that I had not noticed before but shots #1 and #3 have their landing gear down (feet extended). I don't recall seeing that on most of the other hummingbird shots. Great work.

[MT Net]

Very nice shots!

Looks like the Hummers near you are fairly tame. The Hummers near me are quite nervous. Any movement on our part, even through the kitchen window sends the little hummers off.

Here's my only pic. I had to pre-focus and pre set on the feeder and wait patiently until H4 showed up for a photo op. He lit outa there in a hurry. He never stuck around for a readjusted second shot.

Obviously the area around the feeder is considerably more bright than on Hummey. Aw well, maybe tonight.

[Tom Wilson]

MT,

Hummers are actually one of the many bird species that will tolerate human interaction. While cooking on the grill last night, I had two of them that repeatedly flew and hovered to within 3-4 feet of my head. I think it is curiosity more than anything else. They are very territorial birds, so it could be a challenge thing, but I don't really think that's the case. I have one large male that spends the majority of his day simply chasing off every other hummer that tries to feed at his feeders, with the exception of one female, and one small male. I actually can identify 6 seperate hummers from my feeders. My hummers were every bit as shy and timid as yours apparently are, but I sit on my deck as much as possible. I hardly ever watch tv and I like to have a good cigar, so in all that time I spend out there, they simply just got acclimated to me. Witht that being said however, it's not tlike they feed out of my hands. I am sitting around 12 feet from the feeders when I'm out there, and if I move to fast, or move to close they will definitely go back and sit in the trees. Another very peculiar thing about hummers, and I have read this in many other places, is that you can set your clock by them. Mine return to the feeder approximately every 17 minutes, if they got a drink the time before. If I scared them, they will wait approximately 6 minutes before returning. I'm really not joking, and you should take a couple of hours one day to watch and time the birds using your feeder.

In as much as I've told you though, I really don't have tame birds. Those pictures were the closest I've been able to get to them. I set up my portable blind and basically had just the lens sticking out of the blind. I moved the blind to a distance of roughly 6 feet from the end of the lens to the feeder. I sat that afternoon for almost five hours in the blind. This gives them much more security to not actually see me, but it only fools the hummingbirds, and orioles. The grackles, blue jays, grosbeaks, and cardinals, don't buy it. I only get photos of them from inside the house with the lens sticking out through a partially opened door. Good photography is planned, set up, or waited on, and when all of those things come together at the right time, they make for good work, and pleasing photos. I really like your photo. I'm guessing that it was a pretty dark day when you took that, and a sunny day would have made a totally different image. Two other things I notice, and I have a lot of my own experience here on this, is that you will never get a really clean shot through a window. You are hidden from the hummer, for the most part by being inside. Opening the window enough to shoot through it will give you a much sharper shot. The other thing to try is a flash. Flash is an amazing tool, and can make dark photos really shine in both sharpness and clarity, and at the same time freeze the bird to a greater degree.

[MT Net]

Tom,

Thanks for the tips and info; very helpful insight. I'm shooting with a Canon S2 IS and 1.5X teleconverter at times, usually in Manual mode, seldm on Program mode. It's no DSLR, but I'm quite happy with a lot of the pics from it. At any rate, it's a fun learning curve.

I used the word "tame" loosely, though. On other forums, I've seen people habd feeding hummers; the liquid is in their palm and the little buggers sit in their hand and drink the nectar.

I'm not about trying this, just seemed odd that any movement from in front of the windows usually sends them off in flight. While the Finches refuse to give up therir space until I move to about 4 feet from the feeder. We're out on the deck, patio, backyard grilling and tending the flowers, enjoying the evenings.

The feeder in the front yard gets a little traffic, but there he is even more skiddish than the little guy in back.

Interesting about their internal body clock. They sure are an amazing bird. Perhaps I'm over anxious about all this and am expecting too much so soon. This is my first season in attracting Hummers with a manmade feeder. The House Finches, Chickadees, and Orioles got used to us in a hurry. We have plenty of Canna flowers that attract Hummers every August.

That day of my pic was a mostly overcast late evening shot. The diffused setting sun was screened further by the maple trees, thus darkening "Hummie", yet a brighter sauver feeder.

You did mention enjoying a good cigar on the deck. I appriciate that, and will now commence to participate in this practice to get Hummie more accustomed to me. That and a fine scotch, they go together quite well.

By the way, the cloth sack on the Bird Station is filled with hot peppers and such. It's "Squirrel Be Gone" or something like that. It was supposed to keep them away, so far it hasn't worked.