PHOTOGRAPHING HUMMINGBIRDS Andy Goris Tuesday, August 13, 13 Contents About Hummingbirds Equipment Photo Technique Editing Tips Female Broad-tailed Hummingbird Canon 7D on tripod, ISO 200, f/5.6, 400mm 1/400 sec Tuesday, August 13, 13 About Hummingbirds Hummingbirds are found only in the Western • Hemisphere. 356 Species, most of which live in Central and South • America 27 Species found in the United States • 10 species in Colorado from May to early September, • but only 4 of these are common in nor thern Colorado. Magnificent Hummingbird Best place to find Hummingbirds in Nor thern • Southern Arizona Colorado: Canon 7D on tripod ISO 800, f/5.6, From the foothills to the mountains ✴ 400mm 1/400 sec Near feeders at homes, visitor centers and lodges. ✴ Occasionally in gardens. Tuesday, August 13, 13 Common Color ado Hummingbirds Broad-tailed Hummingbird Black-chinned Hummingbird Most common species around Ft. Collins. Common in mountains and western slope Often mistaken for a Ruby-throated. Rare in Ft. Collins Calliope Hummingbird Rufous Hummingbird Smallest bird in North America. Migratory through Colorado, breeding in Migratory through Colorado, including high elevations. Migrates 5600 miles. Can weigh less than a penny. Front Range Other species seen in Colorado include Anna’s, White-eared, Blue-throated, Ruby-throated, Broad-billed, and Magnificent Tuesday, August 13, 13 Feather Color in Hummingbirds • The iridescent colors are caused by constructive and destructive interference of light of different wavelengths (colors) interacting with microscopic structures in the feathers. This optical effect is called structural color. • The color varies based on the relative angles between the light, feathers, and the viewer, but especially the last two. Female Rufous Hummingbird Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird Note the dark and green color of gorget Viewed at 90° (not quite shown) the gorget (throat) feathers on the left compared to the appears coal black yet viewed straight on the color bright orange color of the same feathers when is bright red. viewed straight on. Tuesday, August 13, 13 Hummingbird Behavior • Hummingbirds are the most active in the early morning and late evening. In mid-summer this is 7:00-10:00am and 6:00pm-sunset. • They like trees and bushes near feeders where they can rest, hide, or wait for their turn at the feeder. This is a great place to get pictures. • Hummingbirds need to eat ever y 20 minutes and will often arrive in loose groups. 5-8 birds may arrive and swarm the feeders for 5-10 minutes then leave at around the same time. Patience is key because in another 10-15 minutes they’ll be back. • Hummingbirds are amazingly tolerant of people if we are quiet and move slowly. • The males can be aggressive - chasing other hummingbirds away from feeders even when the males are full. Rufous Hummingbirds are the most aggressive and Calliopes are the meekest. • If you hear a whistling sound it is likely a male Broad-tailed Hummingbird. The whistling comes from their feathers. Tuesday, August 13, 13 Attr acting Hummingbirds • Any kind of feeder will work - the more feeders the better. • It can take a couple of weeks for Hummingbirds to find the feeders. • Use only white, granulated table sugar in a 1:4 ratio with water. NEVER use honey, ar tificial sweetener or coloring. • If feeders are in the sun, change the sugar water daily. This feeder provides an unobstructed view of the birds. Putting it on a pole instead of hanging it is ideal. Tuesday, August 13, 13 A few more feeder tips ... • If you trim the perch off with snips (easy to do) , the birds will hover more. • These feeders are available from Wild Birds Unlimited in Ft. Collins, on the SE corner of Horsetooth and College. They are also available from Amazon.com • For this feeder, I made my own stand from a wood dowel and painted the base white to reflect some light back up under the hummingbirds Tuesday, August 13, 13 Getting Natural Pictures of Perched Birds • Look for a place where birds rest before going to the feeder. • If there isn’t a good place you can create one with a loose branch attached to a chair, ladder, or feeder stand. • Pick a position to sit or stand and be prepared to wait. Tr y to get eye-level with the bird. • Use a tripod and pre-frame the picture to minimize hand movement when taking pictures. • Use spot focus and focus on the eyes. • If manually pre-focussing, position the focus point where you anticipate the eyes to be. It is surprising how much a thin branch can Canon 7D, tripod, ISO 400, 400mm, f6.3, 1/80 sec bend when a bird lands on it, so be prepared to frame low. Tuesday, August 13, 13 Canon 5D III, 500mm+2X TC f/8 ISO 400 1/320 sec Tripod Tuesday, August 13, 13