Ruby-Throated Hummingbird 2

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird 2

Thanks for the positive feedback on the photos of male ruby-throated hummingbird I shared yesterday. For the next two days I am sharing images of females of the same species. Like most birds, the males are more colourful than the females and you can certainly observe that if you compare today's images with those I shared yesterday.

I am not sure why, but the females were less skittish than the males. They were also more predictable and returned to the feeder more regularly and more often than the males. At first their reaction was the same - fly in, hover and look at me for a second, then fly off. But, like most birds I have photographed over the last 42 years, after a while they ignored me and went about their business.

Of course, I did have to sit outside in the hot sun for a couple of hours in order to make the images. Yesterday, one person said I must have lots of patience to just sit there waiting for birds. I do have lots of patience! When I was teaching, parents and other teachers often commented on how much patience I had with the students. Maybe photography helped me learn to be patient ....

Another comment I received yesterday said, "What pleasure you must derive from photography Bruce.....Thanks for sharing it.... "

I thought about the comment and agree with it wholeheartedly. Making photographs gives me pleasure. Many years ago I presented several slide shows to teachers at a workshop about the value of letting students use photography to express themselves. At the end of the presentation one teacher commented that he bet I didn't need Prozac. He was right, and the comment has stayed with me over the years. Really, it doesn't matter what the subject is, I really do derive pleasure each time I make a photograph.

Photos of the Day are for sale as stock photographs
and photographic enlargements.

They can also be purchased as slide shows
and/or wallpapers/screensavers.