Hummingbird Hawks

As the summer continues here at HummerLand . . . 

I've had some photographers stop by to try their hand at capturing my little gems. I think a couple of them are hooked and may be coming back.

Yesterday afternoon we had another violent thunderstorm move through. High winds took  down five large trees on our property.  Our electricity was lost but restored again in about three hours. This morning a group of residents survey the storm's damage.

While attempting to photograph the hummingbirds today, a Hummingbird Hawk Moth attached itself to my lens. I ran inside and got my point and shoot and got a photo of it before I shooed it away. It's an interesting creature with an uncanny similarity in size, shape and color to my little bird buddies.

I'VE GOT FLOCKS OF HUMMINGBIRDS!

I had to take my Macbook Pro to the hospital today. Seems the (old ticker) battery isn't what it used to be. After the Mac Doctor ran some diagnostic tests, my fears were confirmed. A replacement is on order. Until it comes in, I'm tethered to the wall. A hard thing to get used to after 2.5 years of continuous roaming around The Sandarosa while online.

Anyway at the Mac hospital I got talking to a couple of the technicians about two of my favorite subjects, HUMMINGBIRDS and photography. I had to search my sites for the information I wanted to show them, but found it on one of my newest Squidoo Lenses, An Obsession With Hummingbirds. Here you'll find a link to a photographer who specializes in photographing the incredible creatures and even gives in-detail, expert advise on how to do it!! Be sure to check out his wonderful hummingbird gallery too!! I'd mention him by name, however it doesn't seem to be on the site. It's just DyessCreek.com.

Another Shot From My Hummingbird Marathon

This is one of my favorite shots from the past week of renting telephoto lenses. It was taken with a flash (Nikon SB 900 Speedlight) to stop the motion of the wings. It is full frame with no cropping and I haven't done any post processing on it yet. My mentor, Nancy Louie, turned me on to the idea and helped me get my barrings with all the technical stuff involved. See more about shooting hummingbirds with a flash here.

Stillness in the Midst of Chaos

"Art is the achievement of stillness in the midst of chaos." ~ Saul Bellow

Here's a few of the hummingbird photos I took over the past couple of days. See more about "Shooting Fish in a Barrel" on today's Spirit Art Blog.

A Hundred Happy Hummingbirds

I just like the sound of today's title, don't you? Here's another shot from yesterday. See the drawing I did from it on www.sketchingeveryday.com.

Big Lenses and Little Birds

The invitation still stands for you local people to come over and see some hummingbirds. I rented 2 telephoto lenses this week and I am trying to learn how to use them. I just received them yesterday afternoon and I'm hoping before the week is over that I'll get some good shots of my little jewels. Here's a couple photos of molting juveniles from this morning. My buddy, Betsy Hudson, who owns two "Life Is Good" stores, came over with her Nikon for a couple of hours and we tried to figure this out together. I may not have gotten a lot of good shots, but time spent with "Ms Sunshine" is always a fun and uplifting experience. Thanks Bets!

Interesting Side Note: Molting or Moulting in birds from Wikipedia:

"In birds, moulting is the periodic replacement of feathers by shedding old feathers while producing new ones. Feathers are dead structures at maturity, and they become gradually worn down and need to be replaced. Adult birds moult at least once a year, though many moult twice, and a few three times."

Hummingbirds, Those Little Lightning Bolts

I've been trying to get a photo of the hummingbirds on the feeder by my studio window, but I haven't had much success. This shot was sent in by friend, Irvane Spracklin and Photoshoped by me. It's not easy getting a good picture of these little lightning bolts! Especially this time of year when they are fewer and farther in between. Getting them in focus, out of shadow and including a pleasing background are major challenges. By the end of the season I should be able to get a few good ones. Patience, patience, patience! If any of you shoot some good ones, send them in. I'd love to see them.