This Easter we headed to Florida to visit my mother-in-law who lives in Carrabelle, just a ways down the road from Tallahassee and Apalachicola. Family on my father's side live in Tallahassee and there are beaches, shops, and the best oysters in Apalachicola...great people, fun and food to be enjoyed!
Like me, my mother-in-law loves birds. She keeps several feeders out for them and just outside her den window is a hummingbird feeder. It's such fun while spending time with her, chatting the day away, to also watch the birds visiting her feeders...very entertaining...both the conversation and the view!
My wanting to get up close and snap a few pictures turned out to be an exercise in patience, but it was worth the wait.
Sitting on a stool about 8' away from the feeder, with zoom lens to eye, I waited quiet and still.
Excited to begin snapping pictures, I could feel my heart leap each time a hummingbird finally swooped in to approach the feeder, but sensing my presence each would abruptly stop to hover as they sized up the situation,
and then quickly dart away.
This happened time and time again,
until finally...
Perching to feed...
Taking a break...
Feeding a little more...
The hummingbird would back off the perch to hover,
as if he was contemplating if he should stay or go,
and would then perch again to feed a little more...
Several times he would perch and then back off to hover...
And he's off...
Hummingbirds are fascinating aren't they!
Here are a few interesting facts...
~Hummingbirds are the tinniest birds in the world
~They can hear better than humans and see farther too
~They have little to no sense of smell
~They use their tongues, which have tiny hairs on the tip and are in the shape of a "W", to lap up nectar from flowers and feeders
~They weigh anywhere from 2 to 20 grams (a penny weighs 2.5 grams)
For more interesting facts visit...Hummingbird Facts
Now that I'm back home I need to put my hummingbird feeder out.
Do you feed the hummingbirds?
Join us each week for AMAZE ME MONDAY...
Hummingbirds are so interesting. I am glad you were able to get the photos and hope the visitor comes back daily and brings friends.
ReplyDeleteYes, I love the hummers! Happy you were able to get the photos you wanted!
ReplyDeleteYour patience definitely paid off. These are great pictures!! I feed the Hummingbirds as well. Probably still a little too early to put out my feeder as our weather is still chilly. Thanks for sharing this experience!
ReplyDeleteHummingbirds are just beautiful tiny birds and your patients paid off...
ReplyDeleteSmiles~
Mari
We do feed the hummingbirds. This reminds me I need to clean and fill our feeder.
ReplyDeleteYour photos are fabulous!
You got some great shots. I did that one year too sitting and waiting and clicking away. They are so quick.
ReplyDeleteLove the pictures and I dearly love the little hummers.
ReplyDeleteI have three feeders and I am filling at least one a day. Sometimes I will have 10 - 12 hummers at dusk - need their energy for the evening, I guess.
Two feeders are on the front porch, so I can sit at the dining room table and watch them. If I have a red top on and one feeder is empty they will fly very close to me, as if to say hurry I am hungry. The other feeder is on the back patio. I just love watching them.
Thanks so much for sharing this post - very informative.
Mary
Cindy! This pictures are incredible! We just put a hummingbird feeder up and have already had visitors. They are pretty tenacious considering their size. Your patience paid off and you caught them on camera perfectly! xxleslie
ReplyDeleteWonderful pictures! My parents had feeders for hummingbirds. We loved to sit outside under the trees in their yard. The hummers are territorial little rascals and provided a lot of entertainment. A hummingbird nest would occasionally be found in the trees.
ReplyDeleteaww! hummingbirds are the cutest! AhMazing photos my friend!
ReplyDeleteThese are so cute! How were you ever able to capture something so quick!?!
ReplyDeleteSerena @ Thrift Diving
Beautiful shots...they are very hard to photograph so I appreciate your patience ! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat photos! I just adore hummingbirds! I appreciate you sharing with Home and Garden Thursday,
ReplyDeleteKathy
You got some really great captures. They are so fun to watch.
ReplyDelete