Hummingbirds

[mrodgers]

So, there I was on the front porch working on the house with the hummingbird feeder hanging 2 feet behind me.

Bzzzzzzz, bzzzzzz, bzzzzzz, I hear constantly behind me. Even managed to get wacked in the head by one. The feeder is 2 feet behind me! I'm moving around, hammering, up and down the ladder, my dog is jumping up on the porch and back down and running around in circles, the 8 yr old is in and out through the door, and the hummingbirds are still buzzing all around without any care we are all there.

So, I go inside and grab the camera.... Silence.... Stillness.... Nothing.... I sit there on the porch with camera on the ready and.... no hummingbirds!

Grrrrrr!!!!

 

[Mitica100]

Be patient, they will return. They are very territorial and will even fight (buzz) you if you get too close to their food. I have three 'regulars' in my back yard and one day I just trained my 400mm on one of the feeders, camera on tripod. Had to wait a while but the little sucker showed up, eventually.

 

[mrodgers]

Yeah, I know. We've had hummingbirds for years. Was just putting a little comedy up about how they were buzzing the feeder nonstop while I was right there working and the moment I grab the camera, they're gone.

 

[Overread]

feel something like this guy:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsDgGS0YFVg]YouTube - penguins flying[/ame]


its a common problem for photographers - blame the hunters and their big shotguns

 

[Joves]

Yeah, I know. We've had hummingbirds for years. Was just putting a little comedy up about how they were buzzing the feeder nonstop while I was right there working and the moment I grab the camera, they're gone.

I think they have a third sense of somebody grabbed a camera. I was visting my mom in SC and, the Cardinals were all over the place. I wnet inside and, mounted my 80-400 on my camera and, they magically disappeared. The only thing that would land close was a starling and, a robin, I got pics of them but bleh they are common.

 

[Phranquey]

Yeah, I know. We've had hummingbirds for years. Was just putting a little comedy up about how they were buzzing the feeder nonstop while I was right there working and the moment I grab the camera, they're gone.

I think they have a third sense of somebody grabbed a camera. I was visting my mom in SC and, the Cardinals were all over the place. I wnet inside and, mounted my 80-400 on my camera and, they magically disappeared. The only thing that would land close was a starling and, a robin, I got pics of them but bleh they are common.

I know they have a sixth sense. I literally can't count how many times I have pulled up to a bird (hawks in particular) in the truck, shut off the engine, unzipped the camera bag, grabbed the camera, changed the lens, checked all my settings, put the lens out the window, and as soon as the camera is focused, all I see is the rear end of a bird flying away!!

 

[mrodgers]

Yup, you guys are totally right! Hawks are the same. I live out in the country and have hawks flying over all the time (great fun when I have the RC airplane out as I follow them into the thermals ). I'll be out in the yard and there they are circling and circling. I run, grab the camera, and in that short few seconds, they are a mile down the road circling.

Hummingbirds, hawks, and that dang LifeFlight helicopter that flies over nearly daily are so elusive to me. Though I did get real lucky on the LifeFlight helicopter when I heard it coming and got the camera in plenty of time. Only it wasn't LifeFlight. The luck was that it was this.....

 

[Mitica100]

The Apache! Yeah, they are made here, near Phoenix, in the Mesa (AZ) plant. I see these babies doing test flights pretty often. A different kind of a humming bird.