Hummingbirds Galore!

It's been a good summer for hummingbirds.  Last summer, it seemed their numbers were down, but this year we've had quite a lot.  I've written about hummers before (click here), and I don't have much new to tell about them, but I do have a lot of photos!  

It's been fun capturing them with my new camera, a Canon Power Shot SX-50.  For hummers, I like to use the High-speed Continuous burst setting.  I do end up having quite a few photos to delete, but I also have a better chance of catching a good shot of these high-speed flyers.  

So, just because they are such beautiful birds, here are a few of my favorite photos.  I hope you enjoy them!    

First, here are some up close at my window feeder.  It's so neat to see them only a few feet away from me!  They watch me as I watch them.  I can't make any sudden moves or they fly away.

"Yes, I see you in there!"

I also have a feeder hanging under our apple tree (I wrote about this special tree in a post called "Our Giving Tree").  There was one female Ruby-throated Hummingbird who amused me with her relaxed method of drinking from it.  Unlike the other hummers who just hovered in front of it (it has no perch), she clung on to the bee guard with her feet.  She even turned upside-down to watch in the other direction if another hummer came too close.

I love flowers, so I plant a lot of them and try to choose some the hummers will especially like.  Here's a section of my flower beds.

While I was standing nearby watching this morning, a hummer came to the white phlox:

the zinnias...

and made a quick stop at the wild bleeding heart...

before heading to one of their favorites, the red calibrachoa in my deck boxes:

They also love the Geranium "Vancouver Centennial" that I keep in pots on the deck.

This one's bill got a bit sticky and it flew up into the tree to clean up.  It rubbed its bill up and down on a twig.  Then it stuck its tongue out!  Check out how long it is in the next photo.

Speaking of cleaning up, here's a hummingbird that was preening its feathers one day.   

It's pretty fluffy-looking for a hummer, partly from preening but also I think it could be a juvenile still getting its regular feathers. 

Here's a male with his red throat towards the sun, looking more sleek and jewel-like...

And one final shot, a size comparison photo.  Bumble bee on the left, hummer on the right.  This time they are on the scarlet runner beans on our vegetable garden fence.  I should have lots of seeds from them this year.... Dr. Ruby did not get to eat too many of the beans!  (click here to read Ruby's post about that).  Let me know if you'd like some seeds to grow your own to attract hummers next year.  Or perhaps for your dog to eat!