Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Ruby-throated Hummingbird


It is not at all difficult to understand where the name for this handsome little humming -bird came from for the ruby-throat on this male is outstanding! The female, as is the case in most
bird species, takes on a lesser beauty and lacks the ruby-throat. The ruby-throat of the male is not always observed as sometimes the iridescence of the red is not seen, due to the lighting or the angle from which it is viewed, and only a dark patch at its throat is shown; as is illustrated in the photo the left.
We had missed the arrival of the first hummingbirds this year as we had been away for a week and actually had forgotten that they were due to return; but upon arriving home it was not long before we saw one hovering outside our window. Within just a short period of time I had made up a batch of food and had it hanging in its usual location in our feeder area. It was only a couple of minutes after, that we were rewarded with the sight of a male enjoying the feast.
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the only hummingbird species common in this region.

20 comments:

Becky said...

What gorgeous pictures! I worry about these little creatures on these oh so cold mornings. They come pretty early to my feeder to warm up their tummys, but they must be shivering during the night.
Thanks for sharing.

Silly Goose said...

Oh, the hummingbirds are back! I haven't seen any yet this year.

Mary said...

Wonderful pictures! Really nice close-ups! I have one fluttering around,but have yet to get a picture of it! I think I need to make up some new food or something.

Daryl said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Daryl said...

What a wonderful and original R .. and I am sure it was not easy to capture .. hummingbirds being as quick as they are..

:-Daryl

Unknown said...

Excellent hummingbird photos. Great job capturing these little fellas!

bobbie said...

Wonderful pictures! I have quite a few visiting my feeder. It does take a quick move to capture photos.

Petunia said...

Beautiful bird with a beautiful name:)
And your shots are awesome!

mrsnesbitt said...

We here in UK can only picture through blogs like this. Awesome.

me ann my camera said...

becky:
They must be rather endurable I think, tho we haven't had the snow that you have had recently.

dirty knees:
They usually arrive in the late teens or twenties of May in our region. My first sighting of them this year was on the 19th.

mary:
We have our feeder very, very close to our windows and that makes getting the closeup pics much easier.

daryl:
They are quick but take a moment longer to feed than when hovering.

daniel:
Its always such a treat to see up close.

bobbie:
Glad that you enjoyed mine.

petunia:
They are awesome creatures, and they are so small!

mrs. nesbitt:
How wonderful it is to be able to share with others in distant places. I always am in awe of so many beautiful birds in the UK that I have never seen before, but now can access them on blogs of others. Thanks for stopping by.

Sandpiper (Lin) said...

Oh wow! These are wonderful! Amazing detail on that first shot. I need to get my feeders out!

me ann my camera said...

sandpiper:
Watching our Hummingbird feeder is a great entertainment feature around our house this time of year.

Tom said...

Beautiful

Mike said...

Wow, stunning shots, you are so lucky to see hummingbirds.

Anonymous said...

Enjoyed your hummingbird close-ups. I am still waiting to see the first one this year. The nectar is out, and I will hang a fuschia plant this weekend, so here's hoping!

Mo said...

Gorgeous close-ups.

me ann my camera said...

mike, tom and mo:
I am beginning to realize tht perhaps you don't have Hummingbirds in the UK? Glad that you all enjoy. They are such tiny bundles of energy as they zip around our feeder area.

jan m:
Good luck with your Hummingbird invites of nectar and fushia.

RuthieJ said...

Great photos of those amazing little hummers!

me ann my camera said...

ruthiej
Glad that you enjoyed. Thanks for stopping by.

Mo said...

You're right - we don't have hummingbirds so we find them really exotic!