I am on a mission: to photograph hummingbirds.
Every summer, I try my hand at it, with mixed (mostly blurry) results. Those critters are FAST! But I make the attempt, just the same. Here are some of my best pics so far (only from the last two summers; the earlier ones weren’t worth putting up, LOL):
2011:
This year (so far):
Yeah, I know – don’t quit my day job, right?
I’ve always been fascinated by hummingbirds. I saw my first one when I was a kid, at the Philadelphia Zoo’s aviary. It perched on a branch right over my shoulder, and blinked his tiny, beady black eyes. He was small, fast, and fearless, and pooped on me before taking off. I was in love.
For those of us living east of the Rockies, we have only one species of hummer to lure to our feeders: the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. (You California folks are sooo lucky). But hey, we’ll take it!
Feeding hummingbirds:
It such fun to coax these “flying jewels” to visit your garden. No matter how many times I see them up-close, I have to stop whatever I’m doing when one comes by, and watch. (My writing gets interrupted a lot).
Interested in trying it yourself? All you’ll need is a hummingbird feeder (pick one with a built in ant-moat; you’ll be glad you did) and sugar-water. The fancy food mixes aren’t necessary: a quarter-cup of plain white table sugar, dissolved in 8 ounces of boiling water, will do the trick. Let it cool before using it, and store any leftovers in the fridge.
Change the water frequently, and keep the feeder clean. If it gets moldy, the hummers will stay away. Never use honey as a sweetener; it ferments quickly in the heat, and can kill the bird. Same with molasses, agave nectar, and corn syrup. Stick with sugar.
Of course, sometimes patience is required to wheedle a hummer into finding, much less visiting, your feeder (to which my dad can attest – it’s been a long-running joke in our family). It helps to position their favorite flowers near the feeder, especially red or purple ones: petunia, fuschia, salvia, and cardinal climber, to name a few. Once they’ve found your feeder, they’ll be very territorial, and chase each other away (the females are especially ferocious in this regard). The aerobatic displays are fun to watch, as are the male courtship aerial displays.
Cool facts about hummingbirds:
1. Hummingbirds are only found in the Western Hemisphere. There are 350 species of hummingbirds, about 15 of which breed in the United States.
2. Hummers are the only birds who can fly backwards and upside down. Their wings beat an average of 60 times per second. By contrast, hummers can’t walk; their feet are little stubs, only good for perching. When a female sitting on a nest wants to change position, she briefly hovers up in the air and comes back down to resettle herself.
3. 25-30% of their muscle weight in is their pectoral (shoulder) muscles. Pectoral muscle mass in humans is only 5%.
4. Females do all the nest building and are the sole caregiver of their young. She produces a clutch of two eggs, each the size of a jelly bean. The average lifespan of a hummingbird is 3 to 5 years, although many die in their first year.
5. Hummers have a rapid metabolism. Their hearts can beat up to 1,200 times per minute when active, and 250 times per minute at rest. No wonder they have to consume half their body weight in nectar/sugar water each day! When they are fattening up for migration, they can consume as much as eight times their body weight per day.
6. The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird makes a twice-a-year migration between Mexico (its winter home) and the United States (its breeding area), which involves a 500-mile non-stop flight across the Gulf of Mexico. The duration of that flight has been estimated at 20 hours.
Aren’t they amazing?
Sites for more info:
My other hummer-related “some day” goals:
1. Hand-feed a hummer
2. Discover a hummingbird nest
Here’s a sweet video of a guy who rescued a baby hummingbird after she was attacked. He fed her, helped with flying “practice,” and got her ready to go back into the wild (his comments about what he did and how she’s doing follow the video):
Have you lured hummingbirds to your garden? Do you like to feed birds generally? I’d love to hear from you!
Until next time,
Kathy
Kathy – What a neat topic for a blog post! I’ve always liked hummingbirds too. They’re so energetic and so gutsy. And they’re appealing to look at too. And your ‘photos really are nicely done 🙂
Thanks for the compliment, Margot! I’m just an untrained gal with a point-and-shoot camera, LOL. But it’s fun to try! And I agree, they are definitely “gutsy.” 😀
Wow! What an awesome video!
I just love hummingbirds. My goal each year in my garden is to attract hummingbirds. In fact, the majority of the plants that I buy are for that purpose. We’ve been lucky to have hummingbirds visit the garden often. My kids and I are always on the lookout and found that they come during certain weather and at certain times of the day. This year I put large honeysuckle plants in front of my kids window so they could get a closer look and the hummingbirds love it 🙂
Great post. I think I’m gonna watch that video again!
Isn’t it great to involve the kids? We never get tired of looking at hummers in our backyard. Thanks, Kim!
Very cool, Kathy! We feed the hummingbirds, too, but I’ve never tried to photograph one. (My neighbor does this using a tripod, a lounge chair, a good book, and a lot of patience….) We do get more than one color type here, though. Maybe they’re all the same species, though? It would be amazing to actually hold one. Great post. Thanks!
If you are west of the Rockies, you could have more than one species. But the male and female ruby-throated hummers do look different. Thanks for stopping by!
I’ve never heard them called flying jewels. How lovely!
Once when I was in Colorado, there was a hummingbird feeder outside our cabin. There were so many that ate there every day. I held my hand up to the stand, and they would land on my finger! It was a magical experience.
Loved your post!
That’s an amazing experience, Ellie! I’m so
jealousin awe! Thanks for sharing!I love hummingbirds! They’re so magical. Fab post, Kathy!
Thanks bunches, Alicia! I agree – hummers are magical.
Yay! I’ve got my feeders up and so far have a male and a female. Look forward to your pictures.
I’d love to see yours, too, Loree! So glad you’ve got a pair of cuties!
I think we’re too far north for them to live here. but I’ve seen them in the aviary in the zoo. thanks for the pics and info
Love this post. Hummingbirds are some of my favorites, and I can’t have a feeder because they entice bees. Rob is allergic. Stinks. His grandmother has a feeder and has several that visit all summer. I love watching them hover, and I would never be able to get a good photo, lol!
Oh, yes, I know bees can be a problem with some feeders. Our style feeder doesn’t attract bees because the nectar never touches the openings, and it’s super-easy to clean. Here’s a pic, along with some tips on deterring bees, in case you’re interested: http://tucsonaz.wbu.com/content/show/19089 Good luck, Stacy, and thanks for the visit!
We get hummingbirds overwintering in our garden. I love to hear their high-pitched peeps in the bare branches. We don’t put out a hummer feeder, but we do feed other birds. Great shots! Keep at it and post when you do!
Thanks, Serena! How cool that they visit you in the winter! I do love the little squeaking noises they make. 🙂
For cuteness’ sake! And who knew GI Joe was so chivalrous??!
LOL, I know, right, August? The person who set up that shot has a great sense of humor and a lot of patience!