Male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have left our area after fulfilling their duty to the species. The females and the young ones remain and they are as active as ever, requiring me to refill their nectar feeder more frequently. This may be because the male is no longer guarding the feeder and chasing everyone away. Or it could be because they are fueling up for the long trip south at the end of this month. There is one female who now fulfills the feeder guardian role, but I think she may not have been as diligent.
Over the past several days, I tried to capture photos of hummingbirds in flight around the feeder. Because they beat them so fast, 53 times per second, their wings will always come out blurry, at least for me. Here are some shots from yesterday in mid morning.
You will probably notice the tiny feet on these birds. They cannot walk on them and can only use them for perching on a feeder or on a branch. I just took the following photo early this morning.
W.H. SIM said:
to reduce wing blur, set your shutter speed to a minimum of 1/800 – 1/1000 (making sure that you shoot under very sunny conditions). however, some degree of motion is to be expected with hummingbirds, and looks a bit artistic, in my opinion … poetry in motion. 🙂
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you for the comment and advice. I try to shoot at higher speed but can rarely achieve that because our deck is shadowed by several big trees.
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W.H. SIM said:
this is where external flash comes in handy (I know, it’s another piece of camera equipment to get 🙂 )
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neihtn2012 said:
That’s right. I should get one. My camera does not have a built-in flash. Thanks!
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W.H. SIM said:
that’s probably a good thing … built-in flash is generally not strong enough to illuminate the wildlife you’d want to shoot, anyway! 🙂
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DG MARYOGA said:
Captivating the story behind those beautiful birds,Hien!You have captured amazing moments on the wing!I didn’t know that they can’t walk.Indeed,their feet are tiny.Lovely the photo of the perched mother on the twig!You are a great birder,my friend!
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you Doda, but I’m far from being a birder. Just a hobbyist photographer who happens to like birds. 🙂
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DG MARYOGA said:
Then,an amateur birder and a very competent photographer!
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Sue Slaght said:
Stunning captures of the movement of these beauties!
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you Sue!
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Bà Tám said:
The hummingbird is on mid-air; it’s the best. Bravo!
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you Bà Tám!
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Indah Susanti said:
Impressive photos series!
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neihtn2012 said:
Thanks Indah!
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nhi said:
Perfect catches IFB
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you Anh Nhi!
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loisajay said:
Your photos (and your knowledge!) are amazing, Hien. Beautifully amazing.
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you Lois for your kind comment!
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