Faulkner
Member
As many of you know I try to keep a camera handy when outdoors because many times I've seen situations where I said, man I wish I had a camera with me.
Case in point was this morning, I was sitting out on the deck very early watching Mrs. Faulkner's hummingbirds. As it's nearing time for their migration south we're seeing about 50% of what was hanging around a week or so back, but there are still 20+ feeding from her feeders this morning. I also noted a spotted fawn in the back yard and was watching it when I thought "I better step in and get my camera just in case Bigfoot pops out or something."
I went and fetched my Nikon DSLR camera which happened to already have a 100-600mm zoom lens attached and went back out on the deck and started shooting some pictures of the hummingbirds as the landed in a crepe myrtle tree to perch after they'd visited the feeders. Quite by accident, I spotted a praying mantis in the crepe myrtle and decided that I'd take a picture or two of it.
My monopod was attached to my big lens so I extended it out and then leaned up against the deck railing for stability to get a clean, focused shot of the praying mantis. As I focused in on the praying mantis, low and behold, a ruby-throated hummingbird landed in the "V" of the limb within my viewfinder. I quickly backed off the zoom just a bit to get a wider view and as I put my finger on the shutter button the praying mantis attacked. It was very quick and I missed the initial strike, but I was able to get a couple of quick shots as the hummingbird fended off the attack and flew off unscathed.
A few moments later I was able to capture these two female hummingbirds as they fussed over something in the crepe myrtle tree. The hummingbirds always seem to be fussing about something, whether it's chasing each other off the feeders or chasing each other around the house to feeders on the front porch. Even as they perch on their favorite limb on the crepe myrtle tree another zooms in and wants the spot for themselves.
Case in point was this morning, I was sitting out on the deck very early watching Mrs. Faulkner's hummingbirds. As it's nearing time for their migration south we're seeing about 50% of what was hanging around a week or so back, but there are still 20+ feeding from her feeders this morning. I also noted a spotted fawn in the back yard and was watching it when I thought "I better step in and get my camera just in case Bigfoot pops out or something."
I went and fetched my Nikon DSLR camera which happened to already have a 100-600mm zoom lens attached and went back out on the deck and started shooting some pictures of the hummingbirds as the landed in a crepe myrtle tree to perch after they'd visited the feeders. Quite by accident, I spotted a praying mantis in the crepe myrtle and decided that I'd take a picture or two of it.
My monopod was attached to my big lens so I extended it out and then leaned up against the deck railing for stability to get a clean, focused shot of the praying mantis. As I focused in on the praying mantis, low and behold, a ruby-throated hummingbird landed in the "V" of the limb within my viewfinder. I quickly backed off the zoom just a bit to get a wider view and as I put my finger on the shutter button the praying mantis attacked. It was very quick and I missed the initial strike, but I was able to get a couple of quick shots as the hummingbird fended off the attack and flew off unscathed.
A few moments later I was able to capture these two female hummingbirds as they fussed over something in the crepe myrtle tree. The hummingbirds always seem to be fussing about something, whether it's chasing each other off the feeders or chasing each other around the house to feeders on the front porch. Even as they perch on their favorite limb on the crepe myrtle tree another zooms in and wants the spot for themselves.
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