Return of the ruby throats

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Figure 1 – Ruby throated hummingbird, female, July 30, 2018, Sudbury, MA. (c) DE Wolf 2018.

I have been waiting for the sublime moment when the ruby throated hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) returned to our feeders. And finally they have arrived. There so many species of hummingbirds in the Americas. But east of the Rockies we have only the ruby throats.  These magical little birds can annually migrate as far as Costa Rica to Canada, Figure 1 shows a female hovering in mid air by my feeder. They also love my mandevilla with its conical flowers. I have positioned my camera with my birding lens so that it is ever ready for the moment.

Canon T2i with EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens at 260 mm, ISO 1600, Aperture Priority AE Mode, 1/800th sec at f/7.1 with -1 exposure compensation.

2 thoughts on “Return of the ruby throats”

  2. Wow! well caught. We have been visited by these tiny birds but are very shy and seem to come at twilight when my camera can barely see it.

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