Monday, April 9, 2012

H - Hummingbirds

For the past few years we've kept a hummingbird feeder outside our kitchen window and we now have resident hummingbirds in our plum tree.  It's wonderful to see them dipping their long beaks into the syrup in the feeder.  In winter the Anna's hummingbirds live here but this spring they've been supplanted by another type, the Rufous Hummingbirds.

Here's the female taking a little rest between dipping her beak in the feeder.  You can see a little bit of greenish iridescence on her back.  She's a fat little thing and that's good because she's nesting now, I think. 

This afternoon when we were up on a ladder moving the fairy lights around for our Easter celebration we heard the loudest warning call and saw the her hovering above us.  Needless to say we quickly decamped.

Here's the male Rufous.  He's smaller and instead of perching on the feeder, he hovers as he sups.  The other day as he was eating the female chased him away.  


These birds migrate over 2,000 miles to winter in the Mexican state of Guerrero -- quite a trip for a tiny bird weighing only a couple of ounces!  Just look at the beautiful iridescence on his neck!


The Rufus male has a distinctive S-curve to his body as he feeds.  Here you see him with his beak buried in the feeder.  And his little claws curled up underneath him. So cute!

I can't tell you how happy these avian visitors make me!  

9 comments:

  1. Ooh, you've captured those colors so well. We haven't seen ours yet...maybe they went to live in your tree?

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  2. I am so in awe of your photos.
    I never get such wonderful close-up photos.
    Beautiful!

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. Hi Parsnip,
      It helps that the feeder is just outside our kitchen window.

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  3. Oh I love hummingbirds. Miss them like crazy. I once loved to watch them. They are simply adorable!

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  4. Great photos of the hummers!! I love having them here too, but I think mine are still the Anna's, haven't got close enough to really tell.

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  5. Cool birds!

    I was flipping through the TV channels last evening here in Manila, and not much was on but the same old brain dead programming. I happened upon a segment on Fox news about hummingbirds.

    According to the piece, the military brains have been studying the flight of this bird and making a weapon that uses its capabilities. It was a great little news filler. I never realized how strong these birds were.

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  6. I love hummingbirds as well, but I can't use feeders, because I'm afraid that one of my three cats will see it as bait. :-)

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  7. What beautiful photos. Now I know more about Hummingbirds, thanks to you. We have wild peafowl in our garden. A young cock and two hens. They all have a beuatiful color on their necks, but of course the cock is much more splendid. They fly away during the day and for the night. It's amazing how much joy birds bring.

    http://francene-wordstitcher.blogspot.com

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