![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-1664-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"broad-tailed-hummingbird-1664-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nHe only showed me this much iridescent color for an instant.<\/p>\n
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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<\/p>\n
I’ve been seeing this male Broad-tailed Hummingbird for several weeks now in a Wasatch Mountain canyon. He rules the roost from this perch which allows an expansive view over his presumed breeding territory and I find him here as often as not as I drive by. Like most hummingbirds he’s an aggressive little rascal, chasing off intruders and then returning to the same perch. This photo was taken 10 days ago.<\/p>\n
He usually sits there with his back to me so he can see down into the beautiful\u00a0canyon in the background and that puts the sun at the wrong angle for many of\u00a0his iridescent colors to show. But for this shot he had turned on his perch for just an instant which caused those colors to flash back at me, including most of his spectacular gorget.\u00a0And to\u00a0make it a more interesting pose he even raised his wings for me a little, which I appreciated.<\/p>\n
The perch isn’t particularly close to the road so this is a fairly large crop and I think it shows in the image quality. But over several sessions on different mornings this is probably my best shot of him so I decided to share.<\/p>\n
Ron<\/p>\n
Note: I very rarely photograph hummingbirds at my feeder because I prefer my birds, of any species, in a natural setting. That of course severely limits my opportunities with them so when I do get a shot I like I appreciate it, even if it isn’t perfect. I hope that doesn’t sound elitist but I think we should all be allowed our preferences.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" He only showed me this much iridescent color for an instant.<\/p>\n