Hummingbird Adventures #15

Not certain but I'm outta here. Just in case...

It was even funnier the second time around!
Thank you kwan! : )
Your comments were so appropriate, they had me ROTFLOL!
Here are a few I took on the 9th, wasn't able to get any yesterday. Unless they are still on the camera.

All the birds are so much for to watch.

This is Zippy, the only reason I know for sure is she makes this chittering noise. Not the same sound as a rusty door. I always figured it was unique to her. She is very protective of the gh. Sweetie Pie, the other female has a red dot under her chin. I don't even try to tell the Black Chinned hummers apart. Zoom has his own distinctive sound. Zoooom! He is usually out there protecting the gh, but with so many hummingbird plants in bloom right now, I'd have better luck out in the front bfly/hbird garden.

I think they are hilarious, and enjoy watching them every chance I get. Here is the only other good hummer photo I got on the 9th. Also of Zippy.
I have lots of birds that live here. Saw a red tailed hawk this morning, and I saw a coyote and a bat this evening. Not that the coyote had wings, it just seemed like it when I started chasing after him. Boy, am I getting slow. LOL!
I'm not sure, but I think I also saw the owl take off a minute or three after I chased the coyote away. Unfortunately, couldn't get a photo of all the action like kwan did. Me hat's off to you, kwan!
WIB!
SW

Well, that's quite a compliment. Thank you. I found the easiest way to get action shots is to the camera to the 'action' setting and put the shutter on 'continuous'. Also, it's a lot easier if you have to see the action through the camera rather than on a screen. You can see so much more.

BOOM!!! Gone!

I can't wait for Sally to see these. : )
Speaking of which, I have two photos to share with you. One is where I see the hummers in the morning, and the other is a lucky photo! : )
Thanks for tips kwan, I'll try them out tomorrow, if I can sneak up on them hummers. LOL! They are so good at turning themselves into leaves aren't they?
First photo was taken while the yard was mostly still shaded. This is part of my hummer magnet these days.

As I opened the door this morning I caught a motion in front of me and ran and grabbed the camera. Look closely, I had to crop the photo, and the hummer is just below the center of the photo. They are awfully good at pretending to be 4 O'Clock leaves too! : )
This is the same bush I saw a hummer taking a bath in one morning after I had turned on the water. I don't remember now if I was hand watering, but I usually water out front in the morning while it is still shaded.
KC got to see one bathing on a rose, once. : )
They like hanging out in the front yard when it's cool and shady, so do I, but I guess I need to move a bench so I'll have someplace to sit and enjoy the view. They were feeding off the 4 O'clocks and amaryllis, as well as the honeysuckle, canna, and honeybird bush (Tecoma stans).
Tiny little bird. Ferocious warriors!
WIB,
SW

Thank you so much for my special pictures SW. I liked seeing the full backs, you can see the coloring better. Great pictures of Zippy.

Kwan.....what a show. Had me ROFLOL along with SW!! Great descriptions of the action too. I never saw a hummer chase a finch like that. So relentless!! Wonder if there was a nest nearby.

Thanks bunches! There is a nest but it's in the apple tree opposite the yard from the cherry. I can't get enough light to get pics in there. There are no babies left anyway. We were treated to the mating flight last Spring. Talk about a show!!! LOL I wish I could have gotten pics of that! But, sadly, a bad camera was my only option and only half the pics came out clear.

kwan,
I'm happy if I get one out ten that is clear. Great job! You are always welcome here!
Haven't seen any hummers yet today. I am still a bit under the weather. Hope to catch some when it cools down later today.
WIB!
SW

You get better. You've been sick for a while, haven't you?

I get my best hummer pics around the cool part of the morning and early evening. I'll bet you do, too.

Great photos, everyone! SW, that one of Zippy is such a serene pose. Kwanjin, outstanding photos of the dive bombing hummer. Aren't they something else?

Since the car accident in '05, I've been having stress related health problems as well as the onset of an autoimmune disease. Seems that some days are better than others.
Kwan! You have a purple banded Black Chinned Hummer! I've only ever seen one other that was purple. Does his color change or is it always purple? Wasn't sure if it was the light, because the same day I also saw one with a blue band of color.
Have been working on a thread of a walk across the farm. Took much longer than the actual walk to and back did. LOL!
Will post new hummer photos tomorrow. I finally got some after they showed up, and then my battery died, so I had to wait for it to recharge. Oh well, I needed to do some real work today.
But yes kwan, I get most of the activity early in the day, and evenings. I don't have to wait as long between photos, but they do visit the feeders, off and on all day.
WIB!
SW

That's Tuxedo and yes, he's always been purple. So hard to catch him at just the right angle, though.

I usually see the females. These are from earlier this year.

...

Let's see if this works. It didn't the first time.

Kwan,
Does she have an almost leopard spot pattern on her chest and under her chin? I've seen some of them around here too. Was able to get a few photos today.
Opened the gh doors and spotted some action at the yellow hibiscus, swung up the camera and caught this.

Cropped this one, and still can't tell who it is. Going to force Jonathan to spend a few minutes with me on a quick tutorial on my camera.

I get a lot of these poses. I delete most because they are blurry or I'm just tired of looking at his back.

I saw them cavorting about the gh mostly this morning, but I was actually doing some gardening and wasn't able to take photos. By the time I set down the hose after washing off my hands, they were long gone.
I am not sure if this is a guy I call Trickster, or if it is a BCH, I suspect Trickster, because he is part red, but some of the blurred photos made me think of a BCH. Do BCH's come in red? I've seen blue and purple, which could have been the same bird and a trick of light.
One of those days when I'm happy just to see some color!

Exit stage left!
LOL!
WIB!
SW

Both the little females that come have that spotty pattern on their chests. So cute!

I think that you and skwinter get the same kind of hummers, kwan.
I don't know why this hummer finds the little plastic bag with the spare bulbs and fuse to be so fascinating.

It poked and prodded the bag.

This hummer is kind of hard to see. I caught a motion out of the corner of my eye, and saw him working the plumbago. He's just above the mid point in the photo.

Now he's deliberately playing games with me! : )

Cropped this one so you could see those head feathers. Could this be why I haven't seen Zoom lately?

Getting ready to perch!

Here is that rear view. : )

I think she spotted me. I'll close my eyes and pretend to be a leaf!
LOL!

Maybe she can't see me now that I'm higher in the tree!

What's that on her head? Feathers just standing up?

Some male H.birds can raise the feathers on their heads to form a crest. Kind of like a peacock, only on a much smaller scale, kwan. Fascinating isn't it?
I have some photos posted on a previous page where you can see that Zoom with his red head, has these feathers. Although he didn't have as many.
Later in the day, inside the gh. Looks like Sallys' bday hummer. He/she is sticking out their tongue! LOL!

Cropped version of previous photo. Can you see his/her tongue now?

And another.

End of the day and this hummer is still going back to that baggie with the light bulb and fuse.

She doesn't seem happy, and she is voicing her opinion. : 0

The sun and the wind conspired to move the branch that was shading the bird.