During a light rainstorm yesterday, I sat outside and photographed a young male Ruby-throated Hummingbird dodging raindrops. He sure seemed to enjoy the rain.

Young male Ruby-throated Hummingbird and flying raindrops, Sebastian County, ArkansasYoung male Ruby-throated Hummingbird and flying raindrops – Canon R7, f8, 1/250, ISO 1600, Canon 100-400mm at 400mm, natural light

The forecast had predicted clouds all day with less than a 25% chance of rain. It rained lightly for most of the day. I was hoping to photograph birds in the rain, but I wanted it to be raining hard enough to show a few streaks in my photos.

Thankfully, in the afternoon, it rained hard enough to show the streaks, and I had this handsome, cooperative little hummingbird showing up regularly at the feeder.

I took several hundred photos of him in the rain but haven’t had time to go through them all yet. I chose this one because I liked the flying raindrops in the frame, and he was shaking his wings.

The adult male who used to dominate the feeder seems to have left on his migration. This young male will start his journey soon as well, so I am trying to photograph him as frequently as I can.

The low light didn’t bother me in this case; I actually wanted a slow shutter speed because that helps the streaks of rain appear a little longer in my photos.

This kind of photo isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it suits me wonderfully. It’s simply a beautiful bird, doing what birds do in the rain. This young Ruby-throated Hummingbird image makes me happy.

I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that my mom would have loved it, and I wish that she were here to see my photos of this species. She loved them.

I also appreciated the fact that my gear and I were under a roof and weren’t getting soaked while I took pictures of him.

Life is good.

Mia

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