Hummers in my front yard

[Tom Reichner]

Today I filled the hummingbird feeder and set it up in front of the bushes.  The light was nice this evening, and the Lilac bushes provided a nice medium-green background. 

So I thought I'd set up the tripod, mount the camera on it, then sit there and wait to see if the hummers would come in while I was there.  They did.  In fact, my presence seemed to have very little effect on them.  One of them even went over to suck on the nearby Coneflowers.   

I noticed in one of the shots, the hummer had it's eyelid closed.  While that's common on most other birds, I'd never seen it with a hovering hummer before.

Here are a few of the images:

[coop2424]

Wow!!  Awesome job Tom.  Those are by far in the top pictures i have seen when it comes to hummingbirds.   Especially the one with the flower.  Great job!!

[h2ofowlr]

What speed did you have to set your camera on to get those shots?  I placed two humming bird feeders off my deck.  I enjoy watching those little rockets fly around.  There their and gone in a blur.

[1morebuck]

Dang nice shots! 

[runamuk]

very cool I love the hummers...the eye closed shot is spectacular

[Austrian Hunter]

These pictures look absolutely amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tom Reichner]

Thanks, everyone, for the kind comments.

What speed did you have to set your camera on to get those shots?  I placed two humming bird feeders off my deck.  I enjoy watching those little rockets fly around.  There their and gone in a blur.

h2ofowler,  I had my 50D set to ISO 800 for all 4 images. 

The settings were as follows:
"wings stopped" 1/4000 @ f5
the coneflower image:  1/3200 @ f5.0 
eye closed:  1/3200 @ f4.5
the last image, taken after the sun had set, was at a relatively slow 1/800 @ f4.0

I'd love to shoot even faster, but then I'd have to compromise on ISO and aperture more than I want to. 

I've shot hummers several times in the past, but this was the first time when they were in direct sunlight, and it was a real treat to shoot them with sufficient light.

[boneaddict]

Great images Tom.  I love shooting stuff in my yard.  I'd rather be filming velvet somewhere or big mangy goats, but its just not happening....so I've been running around my yard finding all sorts of bugs.   I picked up the 100 macro.   In some ways I wish I had the 180, but I am just freehanding this 100 and its a nice break.

[boneaddict]

I was in the right place with the wrong lens, but captured this, this morning....

[boneaddict]

Crowded airways this morning in the weed patch

[codeman004]

these pictures are amazing guys!! makes me want to think about photography!   

[Moose Eyes]

You guys are amazing.  Love the pics!

[Forrestrover]

Wow. Very cool pictures. I always love watching the humming birds in our yard, too.

[carpsniperg2]

very cool pics

[jameslong]

Those are incredible.