Anna's Humming Bird

[dancinec]

What a difference a light angle makes. Look at these two shots of the same bird as it move slightly to the camera.

[Maureen Souza]

Wow! That's a huge difference. goes to show that taking photos from different angles is very important.

[Desertraptor]

Wow. Nice shots. Strange looking bird though it's like it almost don't have a face to recognise :)

[Mitcon]

Wow, those are really stunning captures and birds Dennis, excellent.

[ssim]

Very nice. Great colors. How do you make them sit still??

[Desertraptor]

Question. do humming birds open that beak or is it just the tongue that does all the work?

[tumb]

Wow, quite a difference there. Thanks...

[salsataco]

The throat patch, or gorget, color is created by the refraction and reflection of light. It is purely structural, created by the arangement of the barbs and barbules on the feather. If you crushed the feather the color would dissapear, like a blue jay feather. These shots are an awesome example. Great Job!!!!!

[dancinec]

Wow! That's a huge difference. goes to show that taking photos from different angles is very important.Thanks Maureen for your comments.

[dancinec]

Wow. Nice shots. Strange looking bird though it's like it almost don't have a face to recognise :)Thanks Peter for your comments. I am sure there is natural history reason why the colors are so directional. I know the refraction of light through the guanine crystals in the feathers causes the red color, but what advantage does it give the birds? Perhaps to be cryptic one way and aggressive another.

[dancinec]

Wow, those are really stunning captures and birds Dennis, excellent.Thanks Mitcon for your comments.

[dancinec]

Wow, quite a difference there. Thanks...Thanks Mike for your comments.

[dancinec]

Question. do humming birds open that beak or is it just the tongue that does all the work?Well, just from observations, I would say both, since this branch is located next to my feeder, the hummers immerse their entire beak into the fluid and the tongue begins to work.

[dancinec]

The throat patch, or gorget, color is created by the refraction and reflection of light. It is purely structural, created by the arangement of the barbs and barbules on the feather. If you crushed the feather the color would dissapear, like a blue jay feather. These shots are an awesome example. Great Job!!!!!Thanks for salsataco (favorite food?) for your explaination and comments.

[Kevin]

Great humming bird shots. I shoot humming birds also, their very prevalent in our area but they don't give you much time to compose a shot at rest or in flight. Detail is great.

[dancinec]

Great humming bird shots. I shoot humming birds also, their very prevalent in our area but they don't give you much time to compose a shot at rest or in flight. Detail is great.I use a feeder and sometimes they just rest around it to guard the feeder from others. I have shot some with the flash, but it makes them jump. Thanks for the comments.