She did come back and brought a male with her. Caught this male and female sitting on my power line. Perhaps they’re surveying my feeders before jumping in to feed.
Rihogar Hummingbird Feeders for Outdoors Hanging
When I first put out hummingbird feeders early in the season I was using commercially bought nectar. It was convenient and easy to prepare, but a bit pricey. I bought a 2lb. box of 8 4oz. packets. Simply dissolve 1 packet with 16oz. of water and I was good to go.
After doing a little research, I discovered that making my own nectar was more affordable.
It’s quite simple to make using the formula 1:4… that’s one part sugar to four parts water. Completely dissolve the sugar and serve. Adding red dye is not necessary and some say it might actually be bad for the birds. I put my leftovers in the refrigerator for later use.
The nectar needs to be changed about every 3-4 days to prevent it becoming rancid. And, the feeders need to be regularly cleaned to prevent mold from forming inside the feeder.
The male hummingbird’s spectacular throat feathers is called a gorget and they have an important purpose.
The male hummingbird will flash his gorget as part of his courtship display to a female. Based on her impression of his gorget and display, the female choose whether or not to accept the male as her mate.
They are only 2.8 – 3.5 in. in length with a wingspan of 3.1 – 4.3 in. and weigh only 0.1 – 0.2 oz.
I’m amazed at how tiny these birds are. My photographs so far do not accurately depict their scale and show them larger than life. They are sometimes difficult to even see because of their small size. I’m more likely to hear their humming sound before seeing them.
It’s important to understand as much as you can about hummingbirds if you want to photograph them.
Hummingbirds are fast and agile so if you need to be in the right place at the right time. You’ll need to position yourself and simply wait. It takes a little patience and preparation, but in time they will come and if you’re ready for them you can get some great shots.
The Hummingbird Book:
The Complete Guide to Attracting, Identifying, and Enjoying Hummingbirds
With this comprehensive, beautifully illustrated guide, you’ll find it easy to attract these tiny, jewel-like birds to your own yard. The Stokes Hummingbird Book provides all the information you need to bring hummingbirds up close, identify them, and understand their fascinating and varied behavior.
Learning to recognize their song can be highly helpful. Their small size and rapid speed make them difficult to notice if you’re not looking in the right spot. As I sat in waiting, I would sometimes hear their low pitched song and then started looking more closely for them.
Hummingbirds are amazing little creatures. They’re the only birds capable of flying backward, their wings flap between 15-200 times per second, and they look incredible. However, their lightning speed and small size make them extremely difficult to photograph.
One thing I did to get some shots of them perched was to find an old branch and place it in a place I could more easily photograph.
Perky-Pet 203CPBN-2 Pinch-Waist Glass Hummingbird Feeder with Perches, Built-in Ant Moat and Bee Guards – 2 Pack
I believe this bird was attracted to the red color of the feeder, only to find out there was no nectar, only seed. Since that was not what he wanted, he moved on to better pickins.
When I first saw this bird sitting on the power line I thought it might be a different species. After doing some research I discovered that in some lights the throat of the adult male can appear black.
