As I recall the history of the Tucker (read it a long time ago) they produced about 50 of them, might have been 52. One was actually found stored in a barn, a classic story for collectors of classic automobiles. These few are worth a huge amount of money now. My father reserved one before they were released but never actually bought one. They are not now the most rare of automobiles however but I forget what that is - anyone know? A wonderful photo of a great subject, thanks for posting it.

Smaller birds harassing hawks is discussed in the children's book "Rufous Redtail," one of my favorite books when I was a boy (still have it and read it again recently after many years). According to Rufous' accounting it's not fun for the hawks! Rufous developed the technique (as the book tells it) of turning a somersault in the air and grabbing the smaller bird with his talons. Solved the problem for him and I have actually seen a hawk do that in flight so I guess the author based that on reality. Thanks for posting that interesting photo (looks like a young hawk).

Thanks so much!! Now I remember one reason why I liked it so much - it had meaning to my life. My first fiance broke our engagement at a time this song was still popular (although it had been a few years since it was introduced, and broke my heart. But, the saying that all's well that ends well applies here - 42 years later we got married, and still are!!!!!

Thanks again.
Mike

I already have quite a number of hummer photos of various sorts and my purpose with the feeders is to provide nourishment. We have an ununual occurrence this year here where I live, at 7800 ft in the Rocky Mountains, in that there is a complete absence of wildflowers at this point. I haven't seen a single one! By this time most years they are abundant and last spring by this time there were carpets and carpets of yellow wildflower blossoms that provided lots of food for the hummers, and once the blooms were fully out I did not even feel a need to feed them. Very different now.

So my goals are different than yours. However, to answer your question, it is possible to get photos of them without including the feeders if the photographer is in exactly the right position and the angle is just right. But it isn't easy. Also, a small part of the feeder showing can be removed in post processing. And if very lucky and the camera is immediately available, one hovering might be captured. In that case sitting in a good spot with an interesting book to read might be in order!

I've been trying to remember one particular song she did, difficult even for that with my old age memory, but I think it was "Broken Hearted Melody." One of the greatest anyone has ever done if my memory is correct. Does that sound like it might be right?

She was one of the all time greatest voices. Being an old man I still vividly remember her in concert and in recordings. Thanks for sharing.

I sure would need a huge number of single orifice feeders to satisfy the crowd that visits my feeders every day. So I use 8 orifice feeders and often have as many as 6 birds on one feeder. Most do land and sit but a few feed while hovering.

Thank you.

Please forgive my ignorance but where is Breaks Interstate Park? Beautiful country and nicely done photos.

Thanks for the replies, much appreciated. Today it was in the 50s and a lot of the snow melted. However I only saw two or three Hummers all day which is much fewer than usual. I hope that was not because of deaths last night when it was still around freezing. I wonder if they are able to learn that they could get to an altitude only a few direct miles to the east from here (at the beginning of the great plains) where it is 2500 feet lower than here and warmer. I can hope for something like that but have no idea of it is a realistic hope.

Thanks again.

I live in the Rockies at 7820 feet above sea level and when I arose yesterday (5/21) at 6AM it was snowing heavily, there was 12 inches of snow (none the day before), and 24 degrees. Several Hummingbirds had arrived in the previous two weeks and I was immediately concerned if they had survived. After dark the day previously I had taken in the sugar water feeder I had been putting out and now wondered if there was anything to be gained by putting it out again in such weather. But I decided to do so and hung it from a post on one of our decks. To my great astonishment, by the time I had gone 4 steps to the house door a Hummer was on it feeding!!! In pouring snow and 24 degrees!

Soon there was some congestion on the feeder so I filled and put out a second one at the opposite edge of the deck and while I was standing there hanging it another Hummer was hovering 1 - 2 feet away waiting for me to finish. As soon as I did it began feeding. This continued all day and after dark I took the two feeders in. This morning (the snow had stopped and it was a bit warmer) I hung them again and for awhile there was no activity and my heart sank, fearing they had died during the cold, cold night. However, after awhile they did start visiting the feeders, although not in the numbers of the day before.

This was my first experience in about 50 years of bird watching of seeing Hummingbirds being active in snowfall and sub freezing temperatures. Perhaps others have and I would like to hear those experiences. I have uploaded one of the many photos I took and would like to add a few more but can't find how to do that. The photos are of poor technical quality because of the falling snow, bird movement, and my having to shoot through window glass. Sorry I couldn't do better.

Attached file:
(Download)

One small suggestion: Focus merging, AKA stacking, would do a lot for the photo with closeups of the blue flower blossoms.

A correction - I stated I had lived for 33 years in Watsonville. To be completely accurate, I lived at that time in the little village of Corralitos, a few miles from Watsonville and in a lovely place (or at least was then - that was 1975 to 2003) surrounded by apple orchards and Redwood trees at the base of the Santa Cruz mountains. It is, or was then, served by the Watsonville post office so without thinking accurately I said Watsonville.

I lived in Watsonville for 33 years and traveled this route many times, mostly by motorcycle. Very nice images. Thanks for the memories.

Were you on public or private property when you took the photo? My understanding is that the issue of what a photographer can shoot when standing on public property has been all the way to the US Supreme Court and their descision was that he/she could shoot anything on surrounding private property if they were on public property, with a few exceptions such as military bases. However, I don't know if this applied only to objects or also to people and if there would be conflicts with privacy laws. Any lawyers with expertise in this area available?

Beautiful image. My wife and I will be visiting a nursing school graduate friend of hers in Sequm later this year and whenever we go there I spend some time looking for good photo sites, which are abundant in the area. I will make a point (pun intended) of going to Point To Point this time. Thanks for posting this and giving me the idea.