The wildfire smoke finally subsided enough for me to get up into the mountains yesterday. Once again hummingbirds were on the agenda and this time they were really feeling their oats…err, nectar.
As readers know I’m more bird photographer than birder and when it comes to female and juvenile hummingbirds my ID skills leave a lot to be desired. So rather than risk getting it wrong I won’t even make an attempt to ID these hummers as to species. Usually in this area of the mountains I see either Black-chinned or Broad-tailed Hummingbirds so I suspect these hummers are females of one or both of those species but I’d appreciate conclusive ID’s from my viewers if anyone would care to take a stab at it.
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
When I first spotted the bird on the right perched on a branch near the bottom of a slope below me I didn’t even notice the bird on the left, even though they were close enough to each other for me to get both of them in the frame. But in this shot we can see enough of both birds to know that they’re already staring each other down.
Soon after this photo was taken things got real.
In order to avoid awkwardness in telling the story I’m going to presume both birds are adult females and name them. Given my ancestral roots in English Tudor history (and the name of my first ex-wife) I’m choosing to call the bird on the left Elizabeth. That’s Mary on the right.
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Elizabeth (Liz) made the first move. She circled around and attacked Mary who was still perched.
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
It looks to me like Mary got a poke in the armpit during the ruckus.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Mary beat a quick retreat but she circled around and…
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
attacked Liz who was now perched on the same spot Mary had been.
Given my relatively slow shutter speed (for hummers at least) and the fact that I was trying to keep two incredibly fast birds in frame and in focus, it goes without saying that I clipped a lot of body parts and often at least one of the birds was soft. But even some of those shots helped to tell the story, including this one.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Both birds did a lot of posturing but I’m pretty sure they made contact more than once. And yes, during fights hummingbirds are sometimes injured or even killed, typically by impaling.
1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
At this point the fight is more posturing than anything and eventually…
1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
the fight turned out to be a draw. Both birds settled on the perch and glared at each other for a while before Mary, on the right, took off first, eventually followed by Liz.
I’m more than pleased by how well several of these photos turned out, including this last one and #6. Usually when I try to photograph hummingbird wars I’m lucky to get even one of the combatants sharp and in frame but this time I had much better luck.
My old friend Murphy must have been on vacation yesterday morning..
Ron
Note: I certainly won’t claim that I didn’t lose track of which bird was which and at some point call them by the wrong names. I did the best I could under the circumstances.
Outstanding captures!
Just wanted to add my kudos for these really great action shots. I’ve spent innumerable hours taking HB shots, and yours are just superb!
Those are sweet photos. We have a few hummers doing battle in our backyard. I can only imagine the patience that it takes to get shots like that,
I can barely follow them with eyes only.
Fabulous series. You are the best.
Bob, I don’t know about that but I sure appreciate the kind words.
For such cute little birds they can be so feisty❗️Love that you named them. When I take their feeder down to freshen it up, boy they sit in the tree and give me the stare down😆
Love your first wife comment. That’s like me saying I’m going on vacation with my first step-mom❗️
Diana, I always feel guilty when I take their feeder down to clean it. I clean it at the kitchen sink and through the window I can sometimes see one of them land on the feeder stand outside, obviously wondering what became of their breakfast.
Hey now! Elizabeth was innocent! Mary started the whole thing by poking her tongue out!
🙂
Unlike with their human counterparts, at least no one lost her head! You did a fabulous job capturing the kerfuffle!
(How were last night’s BLTs?)
Thanks, Marty. They were wonderful.
Wow.
And you (and we) had a ring side seat…
I am however still shuddering at the thought of impalement…
Makes me a little woozy too.
Hi Ron, Interesting capture of a few moments in time! I live in the redwood forest of Scott’s Valley, near Santa Cruz, Ca. A UCSC docent friend takes many photos of hummingbirds at the arboretum, and shares on Facebook.
He says the Allen’s (tan chest) are very aggressive toward the Anna’s (grey chest). When the Allen’s do their migration, the Anna’s get some relief/peace, as they are homebodies who stay put ( what’s the name of non-migrants?)
Thanks for your great posts❣️❣️
Carolyn, to my knowledge I’ve never seen an Allen’s.
I refer to non-migrants as year-round residents.
So much fun!! Great series Ron! Love Lyle’s comments. And ‘my first ex-wife’ caused pause. You have more than one?!! 🙂
Yup, I have two. Still good friends with one – she gets a lot of my tomatoes and we have her over for dinner occasionally. She was here a little over a week ago for BLT’s.
I love the action and the story and think clipped wings etc is a small price to pay for the entertainment.
Thanks, Pat.
This is exactly the reason I sometimes declare our patio a “hard hat and safety glasses” zone! When my hummer feeders are out the Ruby Throated hummers are at each other in a frenzy. I can feel the breeze from their feathers when they zoom close by my face. It can be a little scary actually.
I agree, it can be scary Sybby. Especially when they come very close to my eyes.
Fun! Glad you could freeze the action otherwise much would be missed. The Rufous sure can be nasty little bastards! 😉 SO enjoy them when they make their infrequent appearances here….. 🙂
61 with a high of 80 before the heat sets in again. Of note only 54 in town – dry, rocky creek bed doing it’s heat sink thing…. 🙁
Thanks, Judy. It’s starting to get hot here again. Near 100° by Saturday.
I’ve about given up on ID juvenile hummers, especially between broad-tail and black-chinned. They look to be this years hatch, they still have a baby look about the face and short beak. Male juveniles look like females. You do have nice images of the tail fanned so going mostly on the tail shape and color and the white dot behind the eye, without more white eyebrow as I see in broad-tail, I am going “out on a limb” and say you are right about the birds being black-chinned. As far a sex you will have to wait for the first molt to sub-adult to tell.
Great capture, they are hard to photograph due to their speed.
April, your comment makes me feel better if even you have difficulty with some of the hummers. I struggle, even with some of the males.
I have several feeders set up at our desert hideaway; we sit on the deck and watch the battles rage. Cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and seat belts fastened. Occasionally a ruby breasted or a hummingbird moth will show up and we do Olympic cheers for gold in the performance. No TV and many almost good photos grace our iPhones. These (yours) are wonderful, lucky and familiar.
Thank you.
Hey Andy, good to hear from you! I’ve seen photos you’ve posted of your desert hideaway. I’m jealous.
All I ever see is one bird approaching another and then they both disappear. Most revealing to have a ringside seat and see the play by play behavior. Had no idea it could be lethal. Good to know no animals were harmed during filming.
That’s usually all I see too, Lyle.
Typical hummer behavior. I see it out back all day long, but especially in the early morning and early evening. I am with you on identification of hummingbirds. Excellent set of action photos. I like the last three best.
Happy for you that you were able to get back out there again.
Thanks, Everett. It was clear in the mountains again this morning. Not as many birds though…
Real nice captures of an interesting encounter!
Thank you, Bruce.
When we lived in New Mexico the southbound Rufous Hummingbirds would show up every year almost exactly on July 4th. They were like little fighter planes, attacking the Black-chinned Hummingbirds and dominating the feeders.
That sounds exactly like Rufous Hummingbirds.