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Thu 31 Aug, 2006 09:06 am
I had just refilled my hummingbird feeder and hung it back on its nail over my patio. I was proceeding to water plants when a youngish-looking hummingbird buzzed up and started feeding. I mean, I had just hung it there a second or two before!
I immediately froze, because my experience with the beautiful little things has thus far been that they are none too fond of humans present while they are feeding - I usually try to snap photos of them from in between the slats of the blinds, trying to remain undetected, but not doing too good a job most of the time.
I'm telling you, this little guy had no fear of me at all! He kept feeding with me about two feet away, standing there dumbfounded. He even stopped and hovered closer (within about a foot of my face!) to check me out, then went back to feeding.
I got a real warm fuzzy from this little encounter - I felt like I was being let in on something secret - like I was cool with the hummingbirds!
(Just so no one thinks this means I've gone totally and finally over the nutso fence, I want to say I realize that the bird might just have been exceptionally hungry, but it was still way cool)
That IS cool!
I have a bunch of trumpet vines right outside my window there <points> and it's hummingbird heaven.
I remember from when I was trying to get a decent pic of hummingbirds in Colorado several years ago that different kinds have different personalities. For example, Rufous hummingbirds are aggressive and fearless -- I could go right up to them and they wouldn't give a damn. Ruby-throateds are more skittish. Etc.
I've saved this photo from a post of Pitter's quite a while ago. He's very good with the camera..
http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=362723#362723
I'm crazy for hummingbirds...
I'm a big fan of hawks and pelicans, personally. But hummingbirds are cool too.
Really , the only thing that really preys on hummers are mantises. Ive got a number of feeders here at camp and we change the sugar water every 3 or 4 days. Ill have hummers just humming around me and giving off these cheeps like "HEy shithead, finish hangin the feeder willya?"
We have one feeder just a few feet from the picnic table and they come in for an evening snack when we eat, and we are maybe 4-5 ft away.
If you can hear their little chirping while they are sipping they are just showing off like A Ventriloquist drinking a glass of water while his dummy is singing.
I had a friend with a deck, a sugar water feeder and a great deal of patience. She would very quietly by the feeder and the hummingbirds would perch on her hands.
This is great. from what y'all have said, I may be able to be up close to them on a regular....
I wish I was cool with the hummingbirds. I'm not on the outs with them or anything, just not really in either, you know?
I got to see one fly up and land on its nest once, though, that was pretty awesome. It fit into this itty bitty little cup of a nest so perfectly.
Hummingbirds and I have always not gotten alone. I had a girlfriend who left me for a hummingbird. They are cute but ya can't trust 'em.
My favorites are the loud Red Roufus? I think is thier name?
The aggressive larger ones that have the bright red breast, and dark heads.
Have you thought of mounting the camera BEFORE you place the feeder so that it is already in place when they arrive?
That might let you get a good picture with out scaring them...
I have been fortunate enough to have frequent Rufus Hummers visit my feeders. I was out watering one evening and one swept down and drank from the hose. I couldn't believe it.
I love hummingbirds so much that I had one tattooed. It's my one and only. I had a rebellous moment to celebrate my being newly single and turning 40. I think they represent free-spirits and they are so fiesty
Free spirits - yeah, I like that...
Theres a new subspecies of rufous hummers that are actually heading east and south for the winter. (Not only south through CAlif). These have become path finders for more and more hummers to also come east and south. It appears that so many people have feeders out that the hummers have established new pathways and have learned the types of flowers to adapt to. I heard that the rufous hummer is an occasional visitor as far East as Ohio and down into Tennessee as winter approaches. So, maybe the rufous will evolve into a more robust hummer , capable of really long distance flightplans.
All this has happened within the last 30 years or so> Evolution can work quickly sometimes.
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