Hummingbird Adventures #9

We're continuing our adventures with our friends the hummers on this page. If you missed any from the previous page, we came from here:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/985977/

Hope that you share photos and stories of the hummers in your life. Doesn't have to be the best photo, some of mine get pretty blurry, but the stories are always great!
Please feel free to jump in and share your experiences.
Here is a black chinned hummer. Visited before the workers started painting the arbor yesterday.
Walk In Beauty!
SingingWolf

Here is another view of the black chinned hummer. He seemed to be posing yesterday, and not as wary of all the activity.

Here he is feeding.

The Trickster? Finally some color!

Same bird, but the color changed with the angle of light.

Not sure who this is. I don't recall a white band around the neck on my regulars.

Same bird, different view.

Innit he pretty!

His rival!

The Trickster again.

Zippy!

Here she is again!

The Black chinned again.

Perched.

Here he is sharing the feeder with his mate. He drove everyone else off. He owned that feeder! LOL!

Another view, same couple.

Think this is Zoom, but the lighting was bad for the pretty red color to show on his head.

Can't tell for sure, but think this is Zippy. Think Zippy is Zoom's mate.

Could be Sweetie Pie. I do see a spot under her throat.

Say goodnight Zoom!
WIB!
SW

Goodnight Zoom! Wonderful pics SW, looks like they don't mind the work too awfully much.

Those shower shots are incredible duc!!!

Awesome pics, Duc, SW. What fun you seem to be having with the photography. An amazing opportunity you have with your "yard birds."

I really appreciate your putting so much effort into taking them to share with us. Thanks so much, Linda

Linda,
I love the hummers. I spent a whole year on my back watching home and garden channel on TV. I still don't have a lot of stamina. Taking the photos of the hummers is relaxing and a great excuse to sit down and take a break. LOL!
Personally, I'm letting Lone Wolf take the credit for starting this whole thing. I'm just a conduit. If you get pleasure from these photos, then it doubles mine. ^_^
Got some from yesterday to post. A couple of them are halfway good.
I think this is a black chinned. My first visitor of the day!

Looks like Zoom decided to tell me off in this photo! LOL! Not happy with all the changes under the arbor or on the patio. Better light in the gh for photos though.

A better picture of Zoom saying, "And that's how I feel, darn it!". With extra emphasis.

His eyes look so big and shiny, but not as shiny as his brilliant head feathers!

"This is my feeder! I ain't sharing except with Zippy!"
Zoom is so cute.

Not exactly sure who this guy/gal is, but the hummer snuck in while Zoom was chasing someone else off.

Zoom is really a handsome guy, bet the little ladies all love him. He was really showing off with his tail in that last photo. You're right SW, it is relaxing to be watching and photographing the hummers.

One of my little ones was sure enjoying the pollen from the Kniphofia (red hot pokers).

This black chinned took over the feeder for a while in the late afternoon yesterday. He was defending the feeder and not sharing at all. Stayed perched on the feeder for a good half hour in between bouts with other hummers and feeding.

Duc, I sure wish they'd grow for me (Kniphofia). They seem to like the Mother of Thousands that will do well outside next to the gh, here. So I'm trying to start some to transplant. Would like to get the hummers off the feeder, and a lot of them are really working the honeysuckle out front. I really like photos of them eating from the flowers rather than the feeders. A lot of the plants in the country side near us have already dried up and gotten crunchy. Not much green left except some bushes on the hills.
I really enjoy the photos of your hummers showering. I don't see much of that. I have most of my plants on drip irrigation, DH usually waters the lawn after dark, and most of the hand watering I do is in the gh. I miss my bird bath. I'll have to figure out where to put the new one. It keeps falling over every time it's real windy. The last one I had set in concrete. I was really sad to loose it too.
Last photo for now. This is Trickster.
Now I'm all caught up, except for photos taken today.
WIB!
SW

OK, folks, take a look at May 22, 2009 11:13 AM. See the little wingie thingies at the inner tip of the wing feathers? Tell me, what shape are their wings; the body part? How much of their wing is body and how much is feather, I guess is the question. The pics often look like they are all sleek little body and wings of feathers.

Inquiring minds want to know.

Linda

Are you talking about the darker part close to the body compared to the faint part at the outside? (Words sometimes fail me!)
As far as I know, it's all feather. When the wings are spread to the max and fluttering, you see more light through them. The feathers are arranged in layers overlapping each other, but they don't have much bone, mainly cartilage, I believe, and the bones are hollow. So you might be looking at muscle and cartilage close to the body, but the rest is mainly feathers. Does that make sense? We had to learn some of this because we sometimes have to clip our little parrot's feathers (not for a long time, though).

Here's a diagram I found that might help - though hummingbirds might differ slightly. http://www.goshen.edu/merrylea/research/maps/diagram.jpg

Yes, Kaper, I am referring to the darker part of the wings next to the body. The wings look fully outstretched to this novice eye. Hmmm, let's see, pretend for a moment that my fingers are feathers and my lower arms are my body. My hand, sans fingers, would be the body part, jointed at the body, to which my fingers/feathers are attached so that they can move independent from the body.

I am guessing that the "wingie thingies" (never at a loss for words in this household - LOL) must be some kind of similar appendage, mustn't they? But they wouldn't be flat as depicted in the referenced photo. They must be able to rotate so as to permit control of flight, as does my hand at my wrist.

The diagram does a great job, btw, of laying out the feathers. Very pretty. Thinking back to my childhood parakeets ... one only trims the primaries.

Linda

"...one only trims the primaries."

Hopefully! When we adopted our macaw, her wing feathers were butchered - with primaries left on to 'look pretty.' grrrr....

I think I read that hummer wings do rotate somewhat to allow them to do the extraordinary things they do in flight. Read too much sometimes, and it all gets jumbled!

Speaking of wings, check this out ... .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui9KE9b1pLY

A Ladybug, taking off in flight. AWESOME! I never really knew they had wings under there (yes I did, I just didn't know how much wing).

Linda

Happy birthday, Olivia!

I prefer to think of it as RAM-cram (old computer jargon). There's just so much information in my head by now, I have to dump some now and then. :-)

Awesome!!!

I second that. I was say my brain is full, can't take in any more info.