Long Migration

Right now we are at the start of the annual hummingbird migration. Where I live in Northern California we getting migrating Anna's, Allen's and Rufous Hummingbirds. This week in my backyard there have been plenty of Rufous and Anna's stopping in for sips of nectar from my feeders. The Rufous Hummingbirds are amazing. They migrate from as far as Southern Mexico coming up the coastal ranges all the way up to Southeastern Alaska to breed. After breeding they migrate back down to Mexico via the Cascades and Sierra Nevada Mountain Ranges or the Rocky Mountains. That's an incredible journey for such a small bird that weighs less than a penny and a half. Today's photographs were taken from a photoblind in my backyard. Because hummingbirds many times will perch in the same spot after feeding I set my photoblind close to a tree branch where one hummingbird was consistently landing. I waited until the hummingbird flew to the feeder and then quietly and quickly went out to the photblind and I climbed in. A short wait later the hummingbird returned and started using the branch again. After taking a series of images I knew I had my Rufous Hummingbird images for today. Images created with a Canon 7D and a Tamron 150-600 mm lens at 600mm. Camera was set in AV mode, ISO 800, F stops and shutter speeds varied. Camera was placed on a Manfrotto 190 XPROB Tripod with a Bogen 3055 Ballhead. Isn't it amazing the brilliant colors that can come off of that gorget? God's tender love and blessings to all, chris God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.”Genesis 1:20