Landing Broad-tailed Hummingbird Male Displaying His Colorful Gorget

Landing Broad-tailed Hummingbird male – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1000, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

I’m keeping my post this morning short and sweet, some of the shortest birds we have in North America are hummingbirds and as far as cute appeal goes hummingbirds can’t be much sweeter. Earlier in June I posted some images of a male Broad-tailed Hummingbird who was defending his favorite perch, this photo was taken at that same perch ten days later. I can’t be 100% positive that it is the same male hummingbird but it very well could be and it is highly likely that it is. They are very territorial.

Knowing that this is a favorite perch has given me opportunities I might have missed if I hadn’t been paying attention to the behavior of this tiny Broad-tailed Hummingbird since their arrival this spring. Each time I get near this perch I look and listen for the hummingbird, sometimes he is there and sometimes he isn’t. I’ve found that if I can hear him chances are that he will land on this same perch so I pre-focus on the little branch, listen for him to get close to it then fire away as soon as I see anything enter the frame. Knowing that has paid off a few times when the bird has landed facing me. More often than not he lands with his back facing me so I jump for joy when I get photos like this one where he faces me and displays his colorful gorget.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Broad-tailed Hummingbird photos plus facts and information about this species.