d2b2
Loc: Catonsville, Maryland, USA
Not as many this year. In fact, virtually every visit to the feeder is one lone male, and recently followed by one young male. No females have visited and frankly, they are the norm, rather than the males.
d2b2 wrote:
Not as many this year. In fact, virtually every visit to the feeder is one lone male, and recently followed by one young male. No females have visited and frankly, they are the norm, rather than the males.
great shot
He may be chasing others away from his prize feeding spot
They are territorial! Beautiful capture.
The Hummers are scarse this year. I’m assuming this was a flash shot? I have to resort to flash sometimes but can’t make up my mind if I like the look. Any thoughts?
d2b2
Loc: Catonsville, Maryland, USA
Thanks for the comments. I use the flash intermittently. It allows me to illuminate the subject and get the underbelly detail that is frequently in shadow with natural light. Putting the strobe to one side seems to offer better detail than sunlight coming from above. Moreover, I can shoot at a lower ISO and minimize noise that way, although this one was shot at ISO 1600. I am always playing with different settings and never satisfied with the results... I probably use the strobe in about 70% of my hummingbird shots. Next year, I will probably decide I want something different and go another direction. In this case, I used the strobe because I specifically wanted to minimize the background. The negative is that sometimes the lighting makes the subject look artificial, which is what I believe is the result in this recent photo. This was from the same session, but with an ISO of 1000. It really depends on what look you want and in my case, my mood.
Thx for the info. Interesting
Thx for the info. Interesting
d2b2 wrote:
Not as many this year. In fact, virtually every visit to the feeder is one lone male, and recently followed by one young male. No females have visited and frankly, they are the norm, rather than the males.
Interesting observation. I do not believe I have had a female at the feeder all season in Indianapolis. Most years it is just the opposite, mostly all females. And fewer individuals this year.
d2b2
Loc: Catonsville, Maryland, USA
Robert R wrote:
Interesting observation. I do not believe I have had a female at the feeder all season in Indianapolis. Most years it is just the opposite, mostly all females. And fewer individuals this year.
Usually, a male shows up and controls the feeder until the babies are born and fly/feed on their own. Then, the male is pushed out by the female and she and the young ones feed, frequently with a bit of competition between them. Ultimately, the female pushes all of them out and in the last three weeks or so that she is here for the summer, she is the sole inhabitant of the area. In our area, there is absolutely no sharing among the hummingbirds, except for those brief weeks when the female allows the young ones in on a limited basis. Some of the arial fights are epic! Interestingly, I posted that I had not seen any females just two days ago, and last night I saw the first female at the feeder. Hoping to keep that streak going, I have not hit any mega-Lotto ticket winners, yet...
d2b2 wrote:
Usually, a male shows up and controls the feeder until the babies are born and fly/feed on their own. Then, the male is pushed out by the female and she and the young ones feed, frequently with a bit of competition between them. Ultimately, the female pushes all of them out and in the last three weeks or so that she is here for the summer, she is the sole inhabitant of the area. In our area, there is absolutely no sharing among the hummingbirds, except for those brief weeks when the female allows the young ones in on a limited basis. Some of the arial fights are epic! Interestingly, I posted that I had not seen any females just two days ago, and last night I saw the first female at the feeder. Hoping to keep that streak going, I have not hit any mega-Lotto ticket winners, yet...
Usually, a male shows up and controls the feeder u... (
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Thanks very much for the info, and great photos.
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