artesdecobo

I hope you hummer experts chime in to help explain this photo sequence I captured Sunday past.

These hummers were actively engaged with their daily game of protecting territory when this occurred. The top bird is an immature male who has decided this feeder belongs to him and he wards off any intruder. I do not know the sex of the inverted bird.

These six images represent 75 sequential frames I took using a continuous 5 second burst shooting at 15fps before my buffer filled. By then, the action was over.

Thinking the inverted bird may have possibly been stunned by impacting a nearby window, I waited a minute or so then approached the feeder to see if I could somehow assist as it looked as if it would fall to the ground. To my surprise, it immediately flew away seemingly unharmed.

Only upon examining the images did I notice the claw grip of the top bird in the initial frames. Therefore, I am still uncertain what I witnessed. Research suggests that hummers will occasionally kill each other during a fierce fight for dominance. Was that what happened, or was the top bird attempting to somehow help the other?

I look forward to hearing your inputs.

Bubba

(Download)




(Download)


(Download)


(Download)


(Download)

Mikey69 Loc: La Crosse, Wi.

very nice and unusual

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Excellent action sequence, Bubba! I have no explanation why it happened.

artesdecobo

Thank you, Mickey69. It certainly was not something seen every day.

Bubba

artesdecobo

Thank, Mike. Nor do I. I have shot hummers for several years but have never witnessed something like this.

Bubba

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

What a stupendous catch

CCPhotoist Loc: Cape Cod

Wow, great shots! I've never seen hummingbirds behave like that.

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

An excellent sequence.

Iron Sight Loc: Utah

High Quality
They seem to know each other

tiphareth51 Loc: Somewhere near North Pole, Alaska

Excellent shots! Never has this behavior been seen at my feeders. There is lots of warding off others but never anything like this...amazing!

artesdecobo

Thanks, Joe. It was most fortuitous for me.

Bubba

artesdecobo

Thanks, CCPhotoist. Nor had I.

Bubba

artesdecobo

Thank you, Ken.

Bubba

artesdecobo

Thanks, Iron Sight. I would agree with that comment. I am fairly confident these birds had confronted each other before. But I still am unsure what happened on this occasion.

Bubba

artesdecobo

Thanks, tiphareth51. Unfortunately, I think I was looking through the lens when they came in. Therefore, I did not see them approaching the feeder, so cannot say what transpired immediately prior to this sequence.

Bubba