The accidental hummingbird

I was actually out hunting for the loudmouth yellow warbler singing in our lilac hedge, who sits out bold as brass when I'm 30 feet away but hides as soon as I come within range of the 400mm.

Suddenly, that characteristic deep drone zipped by my ear, and a ruby-throated hummingbird started gathering food from the lilacs. The light was a little hot, which makes for fairly distracting backgrounds, but it is what it is.

Both with the Canon 30D and Canon 100-400L IS at 400mm, iso200, 1/400 at f8, handheld

Got something in my mouth.

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Great opportunity shots Steve. I wish some would show up here.

Wonderful shots Steve, glad you are in a sharing mode again.

Great Shots Steve

Very nice shots. I wish my hummingbirds would cooperate. They dont stay still long enough for me to focus.

Great, Steve.

Beautiful colours.

Thanks, everybody.

Things have been pretty hectic lately, and I'll share more when I can.

I've given notice at my full-time journalism job, and will be striking off completely on my own from my home office/studio with a combination of freelance editing and writing, selling images to publications, selling fine art prints and doing the guided photo excursions, weddings and informal portraiture.

Until now, I've been stuck many, many times watching phenomenal light outside my newspaper office window, while the evenings and weekends seem to bring cruddy weather. Trying to shoehorn a photography career around an office job is no way to run a railroad. So now, when the light is beautiful, I'll shut down my home office computer and hit the woods, letting the photography dictate my office hours instead of the other way around.

So there's a lot to do and a good bit to arrange as that transition occurs, but I'll be back here as much as possible.

Nice Accident Steve

Nice colors and the bird pops nicely especially against the BG in the first shot.

Awesome! It's beautiful! 8)

some very nice "accidental shots" we don't have ruby throats out here and that's odd as it seems to be the only hummer most folks know.

depspite the hark light they are still lovely. i , myself, have never seen a poor hummer shot

Nice shots, I especially like the first one.

Mark