Tag Archives: Hummingbird

Hummingbirds Are Fast!

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Wednesday, October 9, 2019,

Hummingbirds are fast. I mean really, really fast. This hummingbird, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, has an average of 55 wing beats per second. During mating season, when the males are showing off for their female counterparts, that number can jump as high as 200 wing beats per second. Two hundred wing beats per second! That’s amazing. They even hold a Guinness World Record for that feat.

These photos weren’t taken during mating season so this bird is probably only working those wings at a mere 55 beats per second. Even still, that’s plenty fast. All three of these photos were taken in the span of a single second. I shot them with a shutter speed of 1/1600th of a second and it still wasn’t fast enough to freeze those wings. As you can see, some blurring of the wings still occurs. Hummingbirds are fast! JK

JK

A Hummingbird Enjoying Canna Lily

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Thursday, September 26, 2019,

Here are a pair of photographs of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird enjoying the flowers of a Canna Lily. These photos were taken at the Marine Nature Study Area in Oceanside. I see Hummingbirds at other locations but I MNSA is where I seem to have the best luck when it comes to photographing these little speed demons. JK

JK

My First Hummingbird

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Monday, August 26, 2019,

This is my first Hummingbird. It’s not the first Hummingbird I’ve ever seen but it is the first one that I’ve managed to get a decent photo of. I suggest clicking on each pic to see a larger version. It’s worth it, I think. I took both of these photographs at the Marine Nature Study Area in Oceanside. I didn’t need to drive all the way out there to find Hummingbirds but it is where I finally got lucky. In fact, I go to MNSA for the water and shore birds. This Hummingbird was just a wonderful bonus. JK

JK