One of my goals in photographing hummingbirds is to capture different postures. When the birds hover, they tend to keep the same straight pose as they face the feeder or flower they’re feeding on. Because they’re hovering, they’re relatively still and only their wings move so it is possible to capture in focus photographs. When they move up or down or change direction or fly to or from the feeder, their posture changes. However, it is more difficult to capture that motion and get the bird’s eye in focus when they’re not hovering. This is one of the rare “in flight,” as opposed to “hovering,” shots that I got in Madera Canyon.
Most of the hummers we saw and photographed in Madera Canyon were brightly colored males, especially the jewel-like Broad-billed Hummingbird. There were, however, lots of females who tended to surround the feeders when the dominant males were gone temporarily. This is a female Black-chinned Hummingbird, flying to the feeder.
Bravo Carol – your work with these and the flash has been superb – Wow Wow Wow!!!