Mixed Bag - Hummingbird and Mama Squirrel: Male Anna's at the Feeder in Weak Warm Pre-Sunset Light - "I pose pretty-Yes? Thanks for clean full feeder." & Mama Squirrel Raids the Bird...

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Male Anna's at the Feeder in Weak Warm Pre-Sunset Light - "I pose pretty-Yes? Thanks for clean full feeder."
&
Mama Squirrel Raids the Bird Seed - "OK guy, you stay in that tent thingie and play with your camera and I will eat this bird seed. I have babies to nurse."

I spent time in my blind in the yard for the first time this year. Not a lot of pictures for 3 reasons:

1. Toby, my wife's Shin Zhu decided to spend what seemed forever checking out the yard. One hummer did come and pose for me on the highest feeder.

2. Toby went inside, birds showed up and I followed my usual pattern of just watching for a while so they would settle down. Just as I was ready to start moving and taking pictures I spot a BIG hawk cruising in from the East. BAM! all the birds did a freak out panic take off.
15 minutes later a female squirrel who is obviously nursing came and proceeded to eat bird seed in three or four different spots and I got a lot of pictures of her. Then I started to hear nearby birds. The squirrel feeding must have shown them it was now safe but...

3. Toby came back out to explore the yard some more. And then the sun went down.

So I came in, turned on the family room heater and proceeded to do some reading. Now I have downloaded, culled and edited a shot of the hummer and one of Mama Squirrel.
After I post them it is dinner time.
Our oldest son collects and cooks recipes from around the world and he said he did some exotic beef thing I am going to try. If I don't like it he is cooking something with chicken and there is some of my crock pot Pork Roast with Vegetables left.
My wife is recovering from blood clots in her lungs and allowed to walk and do light things a bit but Michael and I are still doing most of the cooking and all the laundry and house work.
Both shots are handheld and I am on the west of the yard looking east. The hummer was in weak warm sunlight, Mama was in open shade. Hand held from a chair inside a popup blind in the yard.

1. Canon 90D, Canon 100-400L mk2 @ 400, 1/800 @ f/8.0, ISO-400

2. same but 1/320 @ f/6.3 ISO-3200

Both are Center point AF. spot meter with processing in Light Room, Photo Shop and Topaz Sharpen AI

(Download)

RLSprouse Loc: Encinitas CA (near Sandy Eggo)

Nice shots. I enjoyed the backstory. :-)
Thanks for sharing!
~ Russ

Ourspolair

Lots of detail, in the captures and in the narrative. Thanks for sharing.

CLF Loc: Raleigh, NC

robertjerl wrote:

Male Anna's at the Feeder in Weak Warm Pre-Sunset Light - "I pose pretty-Yes? Thanks for clean full feeder."
&
Mama Squirrel Raids the Bird Seed - "OK guy, you stay in that tent thingie and play with your camera and I will eat this bird seed. I have babies to nurse."

I spent time in my blind in the yard for the first time this year. Not a lot of pictures for 3 reasons:

1. Toby, my wife's Shin Zhu decided to spend what seemed forever checking out the yard. One hummer did come and pose for me on the highest feeder.

2. Toby went inside, birds showed up and I followed my usual pattern of just watching for a while so they would settle down. Just as I was ready to start moving and taking pictures I spot a BIG hawk cruising in from the East. BAM! all the birds did a freak out panic take off.
15 minutes later a female squirrel who is obviously nursing came and proceeded to eat bird seed in three or four different spots and I got a lot of pictures of her. Then I started to hear nearby birds. The squirrel feeding must have shown them it was now safe but...

3. Toby came back out to explore the yard some more. And then the sun went down.

So I came in, turned on the family room heater and proceeded to do some reading. Now I have downloaded, culled and edited a shot of the hummer and one of Mama Squirrel.
After I post them it is dinner time.
Our oldest son collects and cooks recipes from around the world and he said he did some exotic beef thing I am going to try. If I don't like it he is cooking something with chicken and there is some of my crock pot Pork Roast with Vegetables left.
My wife is recovering from blood clots in her lungs and allowed to walk and do light things a bit but Michael and I are still doing most of the cooking and all the laundry and house work.
Both shots are handheld and I am on the west of the yard looking east. The hummer was in weak warm sunlight, Mama was in open shade. Hand held from a chair inside a popup blind in the yard.

1. Canon 90D, Canon 100-400L mk2 @ 400, 1/800 @ f/8.0, ISO-400

2. same but 1/320 @ f/6.3 ISO-3200

Both are Center point AF. spot meter with processing in Light Room, Photo Shop and Topaz Sharpen AI

Male Anna's at the Feeder in Weak Warm Pre-Sunset ... (show quote)

Robert, excellent couple of photos and I am hoping to get some like these myself later on.

Greg

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

RLSprouse wrote:

Nice shots. I enjoyed the backstory. :-)
Thanks for sharing!
~ Russ

Thank you. Story telling is an art where I come from and then I did it 35 years teaching History.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Ourspolair wrote:

Lots of detail, in the captures and in the narrative. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks, you are very welcome.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

CLF wrote:

Robert, excellent couple of photos and I am hoping to get some like these myself later on.

Greg

Thank you very much. I hope to add more good pictures today, the Lesser Goldfinches are in my yard for the first time since early Dec.

Dixiegirl Loc: Alabama gulf coast

Absolutely beautiful portraits of hummer and Mama, Jerry, and I always love reading your narratives!! I'm so sorry about your wife's illness and so glad to hear she's recovering. What a scare that must have been! By the way, how did the exotic beef dish turn out? Delicious?

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Dixiegirl wrote:

Absolutely beautiful portraits of hummer and Mama, Jerry, and I always love reading your narratives!! I'm so sorry about your wife's illness and so glad to hear she's recovering. What a scare that must have been! By the way, how did the exotic beef dish turn out? Delicious?

Thank you

By the time I got to the fridge it was gone so it must have been a hit with the family. I had a big bowl of my crock pot Pork Roast with Veggies.

J-SPEIGHT Loc: Akron, Ohio

robertjerl wrote:

Male Anna's at the Feeder in Weak Warm Pre-Sunset Light - "I pose pretty-Yes? Thanks for clean full feeder."
&
Mama Squirrel Raids the Bird Seed - "OK guy, you stay in that tent thingie and play with your camera and I will eat this bird seed. I have babies to nurse."

I spent time in my blind in the yard for the first time this year. Not a lot of pictures for 3 reasons:

1. Toby, my wife's Shin Zhu decided to spend what seemed forever checking out the yard. One hummer did come and pose for me on the highest feeder.

2. Toby went inside, birds showed up and I followed my usual pattern of just watching for a while so they would settle down. Just as I was ready to start moving and taking pictures I spot a BIG hawk cruising in from the East. BAM! all the birds did a freak out panic take off.
15 minutes later a female squirrel who is obviously nursing came and proceeded to eat bird seed in three or four different spots and I got a lot of pictures of her. Then I started to hear nearby birds. The squirrel feeding must have shown them it was now safe but...

3. Toby came back out to explore the yard some more. And then the sun went down.

So I came in, turned on the family room heater and proceeded to do some reading. Now I have downloaded, culled and edited a shot of the hummer and one of Mama Squirrel.
After I post them it is dinner time.
Our oldest son collects and cooks recipes from around the world and he said he did some exotic beef thing I am going to try. If I don't like it he is cooking something with chicken and there is some of my crock pot Pork Roast with Vegetables left.
My wife is recovering from blood clots in her lungs and allowed to walk and do light things a bit but Michael and I are still doing most of the cooking and all the laundry and house work.
Both shots are handheld and I am on the west of the yard looking east. The hummer was in weak warm sunlight, Mama was in open shade. Hand held from a chair inside a popup blind in the yard.

1. Canon 90D, Canon 100-400L mk2 @ 400, 1/800 @ f/8.0, ISO-400

2. same but 1/320 @ f/6.3 ISO-3200

Both are Center point AF. spot meter with processing in Light Room, Photo Shop and Topaz Sharpen AI

Male Anna's at the Feeder in Weak Warm Pre-Sunset ... (show quote)

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

J-SPEIGHT wrote:

Dixiegirl Loc: Alabama gulf coast

robertjerl wrote:

Thank you

By the time I got to the fridge it was gone so it must have been a hit with the family. I had a big bowl of my crock pot Pork Roast with Veggies.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Dixiegirl wrote: