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Black-chinned Hummingbird?
Lens: Sigma 300/2.8 Camera: K& Photo Location: Anacortes 
Posted By: OrenMc, 07-12-2010, 04:16 AM

Not sure but I think this is a Black-chinned Hummingbird. Help identifying please.
Hope you enjoy!







Got to love the bokeh from this lens.
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07-12-2010, 04:59 AM   #2
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Can't help with the ID, Oren, but the pictures are great. Bokeh is beautiful, and the hummer is nice and sharp. He looks as if he was waking from sleep.
07-12-2010, 12:22 PM   #3
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Hi Oren, great images, kinda looks like a female Ruby-Throat, brite white patch
behind eye is easily seen, is less distinct on black-chinned
07-12-2010, 03:27 PM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by Tamia Quote
Can't help with the ID, Oren, but the pictures are great. Bokeh is beautiful, and the hummer is nice and sharp. He looks as if he was waking from sleep.
Thanks Tamia, I appreciate that comments. I really like how the colors in the bokeh and the hummingbird blend.


QuoteOriginally posted by BillM Quote
Hi Oren, great images, kinda looks like a female Ruby-Throat, brite white patch
behind eye is easily seen, is less distinct on black-chinned
I think you might be right Bill. I just did a little more looking ( google ) and the shorter dark bill seems to match better with the Ruby-Throat.
I don't know a thing about these creatures ( just beginning to learn ) and what threw me off was the couple sites I checked out for info doesn't list the Ruby-Throat as observed in Washington.

BTW, Thanks for the response and info.

07-12-2010, 07:37 PM   #5
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Nice shots. It's a ruby throated hummingbird, probably a female. I especially like #2.
07-13-2010, 04:28 PM   #6
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Thanks VaughnA, I'm going to try a little cloning on #2 and see if I can get the distracting branch out of it. I like the front view on that one.

BTW, I'm kind of questioning the idea of this being a Ruby-Throat though. All the research I do tells me they aren't located here in Washington. It looks close to the description of the Anna's Hummingbird also.
07-13-2010, 11:57 PM   #7
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Nice shots! I like #2 the most.

07-14-2010, 03:23 AM   #8
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Thanks Joni, thats 2 for #2. That isn't my pick so its good to get others opinion.
07-15-2010, 10:57 AM   #9
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Sweet bokeh. I like the 3rd for its simplicity.
07-17-2010, 02:20 AM   #10
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Thank you wshi, going back out today to see if I can see any more. Weather is to be much better I hope.
07-17-2010, 05:21 AM   #11
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I have never gotten a great shot of a Hummer! Always too far away. JIM
07-17-2010, 03:56 PM   #12
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Hummers can be difficult to identify, I got one of my bird books because of a Black Chinned Hummingbird that showed up at our feeder a few years ago, and was not in any of my books. This one is a female I'm almost certain, and females are really difficult, the best way is to see them with the males close by and ID by association.

The Black Chinned has a black chin, of course, and a purple band (gorget) under it. Only on the males, and he has to be in the right lighting to see it at all, the feathers are iridescent and the color only shows up under certain angles of light. This is true with all hummers. I see mainly Ruby Throated Hummingbirds here, and quite often the red chin is just a dark grey. The Black chin that showed up was an anomaly, the only one I've seen so far.

Jimbo - Hummers are pretty easy going, but not with each other. Humans don't bother them much. Set up a feeder and put a chair a few feet away, in an hour they will be zooming up to the feeder like you're not there, once they find the feeder. They will also look for the feeder next year in the exact same spot. Wear a shirt or cap with a red spot on it about the size of a baseball and quite often one will zoom in and hover right in front of you checking it out from a foot or two away.

That happened to me last week when I wore a t-shirt with a red logo the size of a golf ball. A Ruby Throat hovered a foot in front of me checking out my shirt for about 5 seconds, then decided it wasn't a flower and flew away. Not a chance at a picture, I had the 135mm lens on, it has a minimum focus distance of about 4 feet, and if I had moved he would have flown anyway. Move slowly and they won't spook easily, you can turn and lean closer, whatever you need to do and you will get some good shots. No sudden moves though. I took a lot of hummer shots last week, managed to get a half dozen that were keepers. All from less than 15 feet away.
07-17-2010, 05:17 PM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by Jimbo Quote
I have never gotten a great shot of a Hummer! Always too far away. JIM
You will, just don't give up. I believe what Paleo Pete said about them being easy going sometime. This one did the same thing as he mentioned and hovered just a few feet in front of me for a few second to check me out and then landed not too far off. I walked up to about 6 feet from it while she just sat taking a cat nap.
What I am saying is you'll get your opportunity.
BTW thanks for the comment.


QuoteOriginally posted by Paleo Pete Quote
Hummers can be difficult to identify, I got one of my bird books because of a Black Chinned Hummingbird that showed up at our feeder a few years ago, and was not in any of my books. This one is a female I'm almost certain, and females are really difficult, the best way is to see them with the males close by and ID by association.

The Black Chinned has a black chin, of course, and a purple band (gorget) under it. Only on the males, and he has to be in the right lighting to see it at all, the feathers are iridescent and the color only shows up under certain angles of light. This is true with all hummers. I see mainly Ruby Throated Hummingbirds here, and quite often the red chin is just a dark grey. The Black chin that showed up was an anomaly, the only one I've seen so far.

Jimbo - Hummers are pretty easy going, but not with each other. Humans don't bother them much. Set up a feeder and put a chair a few feet away, in an hour they will be zooming up to the feeder like you're not there, once they find the feeder. They will also look for the feeder next year in the exact same spot. Wear a shirt or cap with a red spot on it about the size of a baseball and quite often one will zoom in and hover right in front of you checking it out from a foot or two away.

That happened to me last week when I wore a t-shirt with a red logo the size of a golf ball. A Ruby Throat hovered a foot in front of me checking out my shirt for about 5 seconds, then decided it wasn't a flower and flew away. Not a chance at a picture, I had the 135mm lens on, it has a minimum focus distance of about 4 feet, and if I had moved he would have flown anyway. Move slowly and they won't spook easily, you can turn and lean closer, whatever you need to do and you will get some good shots. No sudden moves though. I took a lot of hummer shots last week, managed to get a half dozen that were keepers. All from less than 15 feet away.
You are right in finding it hard to identify. I really don't believe its a Ruby-Throat because they don't range here. I think I ID'd it properly but I still am second guessing myself because it could possibly be an Anna's Humingbird.
Thanks for all the info.
BTW, I would love to see some of the shots you took last week.

Last edited by OrenMc; 07-18-2010 at 04:45 AM.
07-18-2010, 04:40 AM   #14
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Heres a shot of it's back to help in trying to identify.



another one also with a bit more of a crop.

07-18-2010, 04:10 PM   #15
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Oren - I think you may be real close thinking it could be Anna's, that one, Rufous and Black Chinned are all fairly common in your area.

On the other hand, I wouldn't be surprised to see a Ruby Throat there, they do wander out of their normal range at times, I've seen a Black Chin here, Rufous has been seen (and banded) in wintertime in Georgia, and have heard of other sightings well out of their range. We have very few here this year for some reason, my mother has a pair visiting her feeder, now their offspring, that's it. Last year she couldn't keep 4 feeders filled...I'll probably be posting some of my hummer shots either today or tomorrow. Already put one in the "out of focus" thread, but that's it so far. Still a nice shot, I like it, but wish it had had better depth of field.

EDIT: Just posted a few hummingbird shots, Thread titled "Hummingbirds from the last 2 weeks".

Last edited by Paleo Pete; 07-18-2010 at 04:57 PM.
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