Are You Down for a Series? #1 Flight~

On By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, Psychological Self Care, REVERIES

Hummingbirds in flight are difficult photos for me.

You can see his tongue here,

and here.

The world has been so depressing for such a long time now,

that I am sharing some of what keeps me going.

And risk boring you with too many photos.

I am going to post a series of hummingbirds, macros are next.

Hummingbirds help me realize how hopeful the world still is.

I hope they help you too. Cheers to you from The Holler Hummers~

223 thoughts on “Are You Down for a Series? #1 Flight~”

  2. They might be difficult to photograph in flight, yet you appeared to have mastered the knack. It is interesting to note the different positions of their feet – and tongues!

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  4. Beautiful, amazing photos, Cindy! The tongue is so delicate. There are plenty of hummingbirds in Las Vegas, they are easy to hear. One went basting past my head a while back, so fast!

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  7. I took my feeder down a month ago and today I saw a Anna’s pop by to check If it was up?
    Some of the Anna’s in your area are on the way up north. I never could understand why a bird would be flying north when everyone else is flying south?
    Great shots Cindy!

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    1. Thank you Wayne. Our Annas stay year round. I have no knowledge of Anna’s flying north to Tofino for the winter. Are you saying they do? I agree with you, that would be odd…… დ

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        1. Interesting Wayne. What I don’t know is whether they migrate north from California to Canada in the winter. I think what they are saying is that Anna’s range has expanded from the 1960’s to include the West Coast of the US and Southern Canada where they reside year round. Here is a quote and link from ‘The American Bird Conservancy,’
          https://abcbirds.org/blog/do-hummingbirds-migrate/
          “In contrast to most North American hummingbirds, Anna’s Hummingbirds do not migrate, although they will sometimes move short distances to search for additional food sources. Anna’s Hummingbirds now occupy an area of habitat stretching from northern Mexico to Southern Canada, but this wasn’t always the case: During the first part of the 20th century, the bird’s breeding range was much smaller, restricted to Baja, Mexico, and southern California. This changed with introduction of exotic flowering trees along the West Coast, which provided additional nectar supplies and nesting opportunities. Anna’s Hummingbird populations are also growing thanks to the popularity of backyard hummingbird feeders. This bird is an IUCN species of Least Concern.”

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          1. When the Rufous appear in the Spring they disappear. Than in the late summer when the Rufous have gone the Annas begin to show up again. Where they go for the summer I haven’t a clue,but they do spend the winter with us.

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          2. When the Rufous appear in the Spring they disappear. Than in the late summer when the Rufous have gone the Annas begin to show up again. Where they go for the summer I haven’t a clue,but they do spend the winter with us.
            I just talked to a friend who is a birding expert. He says nobody knows where the Anna’s go when they leave here in the Spring? But we also agreed that they may fly north in the Spring but Winter with us?

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            1. “But we also agreed that they may fly north in the Spring but Winter with us?” That is so interesting. Maybe nearby Anna’s show up because the Rufous leave. Maybe you are observing bird behavior that is not widely known which is really interesting. I know from my travels that I have seen birds in places that they are definitely not supposed to be. I always say, “”The birds don’t read the studies clarifying where they are supposed to be!”

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              1. He’s (Adrian Dorst) has been studying birds for decades and says that nobody knows where they go? I say we strap a few with GPS units (which would probably weigh them down so much they’d settle on just flying a few miles away!) on them and find out where they are going to?

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  13. What joy, to have hummingbirds in your life. The best we can aspire to in the UK is the occasional hummingbird hawkmoth. And what lovely photos! The passerine paparazza is at it again!

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  19. I’m lost for words, my friend. So I’m sending you a humming message… ♬♩˂₍͔⁽ˆ⁰ˆ⁾₎͔˃ ͟͟͞͞≣hm hmmm hmm hmmm hm hm hmm hmmm ͟͟͞͞˂₍͕⁽ˆ⁰ˆ⁾₎͕˃♪♫ Lol! ❤️🌈

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    1. If the population isn’t large enough to depose the despot, he will rule the feeder! Cheeky little bugger. It cracks me up to watch spend alll his time fending off rivals with no time to rest or eat. Seems so illogical and human!! 😉

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  22. Anonymous

    Cindy, you did not publish hummingbird pictures for a long time. It’s never boring to watch them. Looking at these small creatures, thoughts are coming to my mind – if they can survive in this hostile environment, then we probably can do the same.

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    1. “if they can survive in this hostile environment, then we probably can do the same.”
      Exactly!!! They are miniscule lightening streaks of hope on wings. Stay safe & well დ

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  28. Pingback: Are You Down for a Series? #1 Flight~ — (don’t miss any of these wonderful photographs, from Cindy) | Rethinking Life

  32. You did so well in capturing those active little birds, Cindy. Those two little grandsons should put a smile on your face. The world is still a wonderful place.
    Leslie xoxo

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    1. Oh the twins are joy X2 and I am smiling. They have started preschool two days a week. The other days they are with me. Covid is now infecting children, and they are too young for vaccination, so this has me concerned. Add my state’s forests, and so many other forests, burning, and you have some of the reasons for my concern. Stay safe & well my friend დ

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  39. Goodness me, such a rich picking of those very difficult to catch beauties. You’re doing a stellar job with your pics. Thank you very much. They made me smile!

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  41. I’m not sure where exactly the humming birds choose to build their nest. I live in North America, unfortunately I haven’t seen these birds where I live. Your shots are well done, I was amazed to see its tongue in two of your shots. Do they use their tongue to catch their prey? Thank you for sharing your awesome shots. 🙂

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    1. Good question. They actually do use their tongues to catch tiny flies and aphids. They require insects in their diet to survive. They drink nectar as a supplement. Thank you much more my friend for your thoughtfulness დ

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  42. Your hummingbird photos are wonderful and I could never get bored with too many photos! I agree with your statement about how the hummingbirds help you realize how hopeful the world still is. I also love to watch the hummers in my garden. I can’t figure out how the ones here will not share a feeder with any other bird! I am entertained by what I call their “hummingbird wars”!

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    1. There are certain hummers that are more territorial by nature. This often happens when one bird arrives first and claims the feeder as their own and sets about driving off other birds. If there is a big enough crowd, one bird can no longer effectively defend a feeder. If the population isn’t large enough, the wars continue as you describe. Interestingly, this used to happen to me when I had multiple feeders up and running and one bird would dominate a feeder. Now I have one feeder and the population is so large that one bird cannot possibly fight off the hordes. They are hilarious and highly assertive birds. I am glad you have them in your garden დ

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    1. Much appreciated Rosaliene. The burning of all the forests and now children getting Delta is truly bothering me. I feel sad for our world. We have messed it up so badly…… დ

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  49. Your photos are never boring, Cindy. Ever!
    Love these hummer shots, the feather detail on their bodies is perfectly sharp. Do cameras even have a setting to catch wings not-blurry at the speed of 60 beats a second??
    Thanks for the happy post– it has been a tough 18 months, hard not to feel depressed except for fleeting moments in our gardens. Thank heaven Nature gives us hope.

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  50. They are hard for anyone to photograph but you do the best bang up job of them all. I see them sometimes in the yard but by the time I have my phone out, they are gone Beautiful.

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    1. Yes. They can be pushy. Usually the more crowded a feeder is the better they behave. Problems tend to arise when one bird has solo access to a feeder for a period of time. When crowds arrive the boss can’t keep up with the challenges დ

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      1. Dispersing our feeders is something I have tried, but there are some bullies who then go on to defend not one or two, but even three feeders. I always root for the less aggressive birds to be able to drink their fill.

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        1. Yes. Exactly right. I had multiple feeders in different locations to deal with the bullies, and the bullies reigned. Now I have one feeder, hordes of hummers, and the bullies have no chance to bully, they are overwhelmed by the overwhelming numbers. I do have to wash and change the feeder multiple times a day. 🙂 But that will stop soon, when some migrate south, and the ones that stay here year round, behave with decorum. Hummingbirds in some ways behave like far more talented, people 😉

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          1. That’s an interesting observation, Cindy. Maybe I should try a big feeder with many holes to see if that keeps the bullies from bullying.
            You are lucky to live in a place wither year-round hummingbirds. Ours will leave us soon, only to return next spring.

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            1. I would try it next spring. The problem often arises when the first bird shows up in the spring and claims the feeder as his own, or it can just be a bullying bird. One feeder with large numbers of birds helps the problem because one bird can’t fight the group off. It does require you to refill the feeders much more often though, but I think the peace is worth it!

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    1. Hummingbird images could be a more accurate psychological test than the ones that exist now. No inkblot, no mmpi. Just what do you see when you see a hummingbird? It is an ultimate test for kindness.

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  69. Hummingbirds really are hard to photograph! Usually, I’m so surprised and happy to see one that I simply enjoy the experience as it happens (and later, kick myself for not getting a picture, ha!) Beautiful creatures, Cindy — bless you for sharing them!

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    1. You are very kind Melanie. I’m not a professional photographer either, but that needn’t stop either one of us from having loads of fun with our cameras and the hummers!! Click away! დ

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  71. I used to love wildlife esp birdlife but life happened anyway now i can connect with nature through your blog.

    I have turned on notifications for all posts from you .
    Following bigtime alright!😂
    I love your work!

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  72. I’m never bored when I visit your blog, Cindy. The current social climes have affected us all and your posts are always a reminder of the beauty of life.

    I appreciate you using your talents to give us a much-needed boost when we need it most – and don’t even know it! 🙂 <3

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  73. I’m not sure that any reasonable person could be bored by photos of hummingbirds, especially your beautiful take on these breathtaking creatures. It’s been hard to feel uplifted of late, but its good to keep trying. Thanks for doing your part to be a positive force in this world. xo

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  74. I love hummingbirds, Cindy. We caught one on our security camera recently. It must have been curious, because it flew right up to the camera and hovered there a bit. Such a pleasant surprise. Here’s wishing you a pleasant day full of hope!

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  77. Beautiful photos!
    Recently, when out for a hike with a friend, we found a hummingbird in the park bathroom. The door was open but the bird was fixated on getting out through the window, which was blocked by a mesh screen. After about 20 minutes we managed to capture the hummingbird and set it free! It seemed symbolic 🙂

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    1. I am so glad you were successful. Thank you for doing this. Covering the window can help, with anything you have handy, a a shirt for example. Once the window is covered, the hummer will fly to the next visible exit. This happens a lot in our garages and we remove the screens, and off they fly. Thank you for saving the poor little guy დ

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  83. I don’t know how I missed this post since I subscribe to your notifications…hmmm. :} I always thought their legs showed more while they were hovering, so it’s interesting to see from your photos that that’s not the case. They are so pretty!

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    1. WordPress is tending to unfollow people from blogs. Lots of people are experiencing this. You may want to check. Hummingbirds are extremely pretty little creatures. Take good care Teresa დ

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  85. Pingback: Are You Down for a Series? #1 Flight~ – Hello

    1. How many hummers are there on your feeder? They tend to dominate when the population is smaller and one bird can fend off the invaders. When the population is too large, the dominator is overwhelmed and has to give up. Still I have seen some remarkably persistent dominators.

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      1. I have seen as many as 5 that I could distinguish. Fluttering around & dive-bombing one another. Only one is at the feeder at any given time. It appears I have much to learn. Thank you, Cindy.

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        1. That is one of the greatest thing about life, there are always so many new things to learn!! If you are interested there is a really fascinating book titled, “Fastest Things on Wings,” that I think you might really enjoy. Written by a woman who rescues hummers as a hobby.

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          1. Thank you, Cindy. Every one rescued animal is a joyous occasion, I find it so admirable that people find a way in busy lives to do it en mass. And, I enjoy books, rather than a screen. As always, a pleasure chatting with you.

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  91. So glad you’re doing this series, Cindy – we just our hummingbird feeder to compliment our “other” birds feeder lol! I’m looking fwd to any tips, esp what to mix with water that they really like, ie, brown or white sugar? 😊

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    1. Definitely only white sugar in 1/4 ratio. Initially you can add a few drops of red food dye to attract them to the feeder, but once they are drinking you can stop the dye which isn’t good for them on a long term basis. Best of luck to you! Maybe some will stay with you year round დ

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      1. Wouldn’t that be wonderful! ‘Cept for the rare week or two of arctic weather, lol, it’s moderate enough when it’s not super hot; but we keep the feeders where there’s minimally partial shade. And thanks so much for the hummingbird food recipe 😊 We were gonna buy a prepared mixture from somewhere, but’d read that it was fairly easy to make. Yesterday we went by Sprouts for some stuff and picked up a small baggie in their bulk section of organic white sugar! 😊

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