"birding" fun

[Kevin WS]

Glen.

Great pictures - especially the last ones of the humming birds. Wish I could get shots like that! Need to see if they come if I put a feeder up - but the trouble is I have never seen any at home - only out in the field.

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Flying shots are achievable, epsecially if you have "sports mode" on your camera. Put it into this mode and fire away. Chances are you will be quite impressed. I take most flyinmg shots like this. easy to do on the spur of the moment.

This method does not give you "professional" quality pictures, but it does provide often pretty clear photos of birds in flight you would not otherwise have got.

Sports mode "tracks" the object once it has acquired focus, but often at the expense of a low ISO, hence some loss of sharpness/detail.

The alternative, used by a lot of professionals, is to set an decent SLR in program mode to a high shutter speed, moderate ISO and high speed burst mode. IF you can then get the knack of acquiring focus on the object you are away. The closer it is the better (and easier).

[Kevin WS]

Glem, looking at your Humming Birds, which ones are they?

I cannot seem to idenify them really - the closest I can get are female Calliope Humming Birds.

Is that right?

[SCEtoAUX]

If you put up a hummingbird feeder they will find it if there are some in the area. They even remember the location year to year so you might see some hovering around a location if you are late in putting up a feeder the next year.

You do not need to add red food dye to the home made hummingbird food. Just make sure there is some red on the feeder.
Make the hummingbird food using a 4 parts water to 1 part sugar ratio. Boil the water for two minutes with the sugar dissolved in it. That helps prevent fermentation. Let it cool to ambient temperature before putting it out for the hummingbirds.

Use white sugar only. Artificial sweeteners, honey, or brown sugar will not provide the nutrition the hummingbirds need and could kill them. Change the food often, especially if the temperature in your area is hot.

The hummingbird feeders I have are three parts. There is a glass vessel to hold the reservoir of food, and a base in two parts. The base can be unscrewed from the reservoir and taken apart to clean. It has multiple feeding ports. The glass reservoir can be cleaned and sterilized either with very hot water or in the dishwasher. Keeping the feeders clean is important.

The base looks dirty after many years of hanging outside but it is scrubbed inside and out about every three days. The red still attracts the hummingbirds, even though there are none visible in that picture.

[Kevin WS]

Doug - thank you.

All the info is appreciated. Will give it a go!

(Did not realise the reciepe was a simple as that..............).

[SCEtoAUX]

Hummingbirds are a new world bird so I do not think you will see them in South Africa. There might be some other bird that would appreciate the sugar water mixture. Maybe sunbirds would be attracted to the feeders.

I always wondered how the first stories about hummingbirds were received back in Spain. "A very small bird that hovers and can fly backwards... and makes a humming noise! Honest!" A little too much wine and too long at sea, eh?

[Kevin WS]

Doug you are 100% right. No humming birds here!

They are similar in many ways - convergent evolution in fact due to the nectar diet.

Everyone here calls them "humming" birds, and I have too ever since I was a small boy!

Going to try the feeders - just want to try and check if the sugar mixture is relevant - don't want to cause harm.

[Kevin WS]

Just had it confirmed. The recipe for sunbirds is identical!

[whulsey]

Never have much luck trying to photo hummingbirds, but have about something a little more sedate and domestic.

[Kevin WS]

Good find. Looks like one of the rarer migrants to North America!

[birder]

Thanks Kevin and for the tip on "sports" mode I see it on the dial but have not used it ever...looking forward to trying it out on flying pics...
You must recall my Powershot sx20is....good memory !