Originally posted by 8540tomg These are just wonderful Marc.
Getting all Oliver Twisty here - More sir please.
Tom G
They are such a treat to watch Tom, no question. What I really wanted to do is show people another facet of hummingbird behavior. Hopefully I have succeeded!
Thanks for the kind words and funny comment - they are definitely one of my more difficult subjects to photograph. Of course, I am stubborn in that I continue to use my K10D - it's no birding camera! More to come...
Originally posted by BillM Hi Mark, Thats art defined by a master.
Im asked often if fall feeding delays departure, I answer no. If Im wrong would you
correct, know that people will look to your post for guidance.
For you to share is truly a treat,
Bill
Regarding your question about feeder delaying departure: I've only seen a couple hardier birds remain later than the masses, but even those few they will leave when the nighttime temperature gets cool enough. Their brains are small, but the imprinted DNA and low tolerance to fairly cool temps will force them south into Mexico.
Bill, thank you very much for those kind words - sincere thanks and I'm humbled. I know this sounds like a broken record to some folks, but it's never (ever!) about me: it's sharing the beauty around us. It's my sincere hope that I never lose my sense of wonder of nature's beauty, be it the power or the delicateness of a small creature. That my internal drive, no question. Seeing things with a child's eyes and an artistic mind can produce some interesting results.
I will admit that I am very careful how/when/where I photograph the hummingbirds whenever I have any control in that matter. Lines of sight, positioning, etc. is never a random thing. That's to ensure I shoot "clean" whenever possible. That in itself can be a difficult task, given the propensity for those subjects to land/take off in quick succession. They have no regard for my desire to nail the shot - often my careful setup is all a fruitless endeavor when they buzz around my head! That puts a smile on my face, no question.
BTW, I still have trouble calling myself artistic, even though I've done a fair bit of things that are artistic! I live by the rules of good common sense, am a to the point, get it done/goal oriented type of guy. That coupled with serious training and competing in sports I am a mess...
Thank you again,
Marc