Annas Hummingbird demonstrates iridescence

[LVSteve]

Many times when people are telling me about seeing hummers, I hear, "It had a black head", and "It changed color". While there are hummers with black heads, some times what the observer is seeing is one of the effects of iridescence on the feathers. As the light catches the fine structure of certain feathers, the color you observe changes. Below is a male Anna's Hummingbird demonstrating the effect.

Enjoy!

***CLICK FOR FULLSIZE***

 

[oldbrownhat]

...Below is a male Anna's Hummingbird demonstrating the effect.

Enjoy!

My gf, who has hummers in her back yard all year 'round, will be all over those pics like the proverbial "starving chihuahua on a pork chop."

 

[Rudi]

Fantastic photos! They are amazing little critters.

 

[ameridaddy]

Echoing Rudi - fantastic pics!

 

[Dave.357]

Great pictures.
Our first ones of the year returned last week.

 

[pasound]

How in the world did you find one motionless?

 

[H Richard]

Just put my feeders out last week. Only seen one scout so far, but it won't be long now for our area. Wife bought a "Butterfly" plant, but info indicated it attracted Hummingbirds. Time will tell.

 

[LVSteve]

How in the world did you find one motionless?

That species has a habit of "standing guard" where it can see the feeders. They are very territorial, so my yard resembles the skies over the UK in 1940 at times. That particular perch has been unoccupied until this week, which makes me suspect that this guy is a returnee who has set up home here before.

So, how do I appear to get so close without them flying away? First off, these pictures are all crops from a larger 20 megapixel scene. See below. Then it is all about dark clothing, making a slow, quiet, direct approach with little lateral motion, and walking with the camera already up to my eye to cut down on other movement. One of my buddies swears I hypnotize the creatures I photograph, but it's just knowing what your subject is sensitive to and what will spook them.

Regular visits into the yard also get them used to the idea that they don't own the joint, although the robins would disagree. My local pair of robins are already feeding youngsters (see below) and bark at me every time I go out the back door. Tough, who do you think cleans and refills your birdbath you ungrateful wretches.

 

[wood714]

Enjoy!

He Steve, your camera takes good pictures!



Sorry...I had to.

 

[CH4]

Great pictures, detail. What rig you using?

 

[LVSteve]

Olympus EM-5 MkIII with a Panasonic LUMIX G VARIO 14-140/F3.5-5.6 II lens.

 

[CH4]

Olympus EM-5 MkIII with a Panasonic LUMIX G VARIO 14-140/F3.5-5.6 II lens.

Nice equipment. I am still shooting Nikon DSLRs; haven't tried mirrorless yet. I shot this butterfly the other day with my D850 Nikon 300 2.8. Not my usual setup for butterflies, but it's what I had in my hand.

 

[LVSteve]

Nice equipment. I am still shooting Nikon DSLRs; haven't tried mirrorless yet. I shot this butterfly the other day with my D850 Nikon 300 2.8. Not my usual setup for butterflies, but it's what I had in my hand.

That's some heavy artillery. As for not being your usual setup, that's how it is with wildlife. All too often they set the time and place.

 

[pasound]

I used to have regular contact with two swarms of two different hummingbirds. For many years I worked at the WV Culture Center, and we host the Appalachian String Band Festival. Camp Washington-Carver in Fayette County, on the ridge above the New River Gorge.

The camp director kept a sugar feeder outside the office building. In 2004, our festival shirts had a huge pink rhododendron flower (state flower) on the front. I was standing on the porch, about 20' from the feeder, and a red headed male came up to me at speed, and hovered about a foot from the center of my chest, checking out the flowers. He decided I was fake, rose up to my face - still a foot away - and BARKED at me. Yes. Yip Yip Yip like a small angry dog. Then he flew off.

Worked the festival for five more years, then back to the office, permanently. I miss watching the hummingbirds.