This week I’ve had a couple of visitors stop by the house. They sort of eat and run- or should I say “eat and fly“..?
While drawing earlier this week I noticed a couple of hummingbirds had come back to visit us. The two feeders had become empty due to the summer heat.
I mixed up some more food and refilled them, and apparently word got back to the hummingbirds that the open bar was open again.
They hadn’t been as frequent about stopping by this year until recently. Guess the feeders had been dry longer than I thought!
There was a grey one and a green one. It was a blast to watch them chase each other around the back yard and over the neighbor’s house.
I took these shots through the back patio door with Nicki’s Nikon D5100 at various shutter speeds and exposures. I had to be kinda sneaky- any sudden moves from me and they’d zoom off.
I had to turn off the auto-focus. They were just too fast and small, and the camera kept wanting to focus on the brick wall behind them.
Sometimes they would hover or sit for 30 seconds to a minute or more, other times they only hung out for a second or two. It’s amazing just how fast these little birds are.
While eating breakfast out on the patio the other morning I had one buzz my head, and then hover in front of me for a few seconds before buzzing off over the back fence.
I mostly get to see them while working on Transformers and Deadworld sketchcards in the dining room. The lighting is better in there than the Batcave, but it can get a bit warmer with the evening sun.
Harley Quinn has been watching them, too. Her jaw quivers and she makes a weird clicking noise like the Predator while watching birds. Funny and kinda freaky at the same time.
When she and Jarael go outside the hummingbirds and other birds like to tease our two cats.
The weather has been cooler than our usual mid-August Elvis Week so the hummingbirds have been pretty active. Hopefully they know they’re welcome around here anytime!
Lin