One of my favorite subjects to photograph during the summer months are the hummingbirds.
I set up a little “bird studio” in my backyard, consisting of a hummingbird feeder hanging in the middle of a garden full of bee balm flowers. This area is frequented all summer by various ruby-throated hummingbirds. On rare occasions, I may see a hummingbird moth or two.
In order to photograph these birds in flight, I often have to shoot at 1/4000 second shutter speed or even faster.
A ruby-throated hummingbird hovers near a feeder in a Marblehead backyard garden. COURTESY PHOTO / RICK CUZNER
Ruby-throated hummingbirds transform summer gardens into theaters of aerial acrobatics. These tiny birds, weighing less than a penny, beat their wings up to 80 times per second while hovering at feeders and flowers. The males display brilliant ruby-red throat patches that flash like jewels in sunlight, while females sport white throats with subtle green backs.
These remarkable birds migrate incredible distances, with some crossing the 500-mile Gulf of Mexico in a single nonstop flight. During summer months, they establish territories around reliable food sources like bee balm, cardinal flower and hummingbird feeders. Their needle-like bills allow them to reach deep into tubular flowers, while their long tongues can extend beyond their bills to lap nectar. Ruby-throated hummingbirds also consume small insects and spiders for protein, often catching them in mid-air or plucking them from spider webs.
The Marblehead Current is proud to partner with photographer Rick Cuzner, who has been photographing local wildlife for over 16 years.
Do you feel more informed? At the Current, we’re dedicated to providing fair, comprehensive coverage of Marblehead. As a reader-funded, nonprofit news organization, we rely on the generosity of readers like you.
Related
Comments are closed.