Hummers

[Bambi]

I was so excited this year to see the hummingbirds buzzing around my garden. The loved the delphiniums but when those were done they switched to the feeder. I will be planting more flowers next year to attract them. It seemed that there would be tons around but as soon as I grabbed my camera they would disappear. So one day I just sat down close to the feeder and lurked. Ed laughed at me but that's okay.

I got a few shots:
this is the best for sharpness but not comp:

hummer2 by bambe1964, on Flickr

this was a standoff between 2 or maybe they were mates. I have no idea but I do know that they are fiercely territorial. As JAS pointed out it looks like the clothespins that were in the flintstones!

chatting by bambe1964, on Flickr

liked the wing blur but missed the sharpness of the head:

Buzz by bambe1964, on Flickr

I'm on a learning curve here so any suggestions are welcome!

[Randitola]

I've found that these are hard little characters to get to sit still. They are very skittish, but I did the same thing...as soon as I get out there they disappear, so I set up my tripod and grabbed my lawnchair - they come back after a bit and are quite verbal once they start feeding again. They really seem to love BeeBombs. I've found through quite a bit of experimentation that using a really high shutter speed allows you to get some crisp sharp shots. I used 1/1000th in my "Hummingbird Freeze Frame" photo.
Still great shots that you got...
Thanks for sharing.

[Iguanasan]

Cool results, Bambi.

[Mike Bons]

The juvenile are really showing up at my house as well, and it looks like this is what you have in all the pics. You are right the are VERY territorial which is why its a good idea to have feeders spread out in different area of your yard, and more flowers will help as well, especially if you get a variety so that there is always something that is in blooms. Right now the Cardinal Flower is in bloom which they love, in fact hummingbirds are its major pollinator.
As for getting pics it can be tough. One suggestion is to block off 3 of the 4 feeding ports on the feeder so that it forces them to the spot you want. They will tolerate your presence very well as long as you dont move, and if you have to move do it slowly. One adult male we have is so comfortable with me, because he constantly sees me taking pics on the deck, that he will eat right out of my hand.
Keep at it and keep posting!

[Hillbillygirl]

Cool captures for sure Bambi, and I concur, they can be a challenge for sure.
One thing that will help tremendously is the use of flash/multiple flashes to freeze the action of these little hyper missiles. Also a tripod set up at feeding station with a remote shutter actuator so can shoot from a distance so as not to disturb them.

[Bambi]

thank you for the suggestions.

[chrisflees]

very nice thanks for sharing