Backyard Hummingbird Action

Hummingbirds infuriate me. Not because they beat their wings approximately 53 times per second, not because their hearts beat approximately 1250 times per minute and not because they can emulate the amazing capabilities of helicopters such as Airwolf.

I hate 'em because they're so dang hard to take a picture of! Last summer, with my old Sony P-52 equipped with a whopping 2x zoom, I was not able to get any pictures of the hummingbirds in our backyard. However, this year, with my H1, I have finally succeeded.

Attracted by 7 foot tall golden glow rudbeckia and the pink flowers of the sweet peas is this female Black-Chinned Hummingbird. I know what you're thinking: that this isn't a Black-Chinned Hummingbird at all - it's the most common Anna's Hummingbird. But look closer.

Ah-ha! No red spots in the neck region. I know it's a small pic, but trust me. There's no red. This means it must be a female Black-Chinned Hummingbird, one of the least spectacular. Regardless of her immense dullness, I'm still glad that my hummingbird stakeout was not a complete waste of time.

Sitting in a lawn chair in my backyard, sans shirt, in 40+ Celcius heat and no Southern Comfort is not my idea of fun. But this female hummingbird had no choice, as she needs to eat about every 10 minutes or she'll die. Kinda like Jodster!