Ruby-throated Hummingbird

[John Chardine]

As a bird lover and ornithologist, I sometimes make the mistake of thinking that the "grass is greener on the other side". When I see images of parrots or sunbirds for example, they seem so exotic. Then I remember that we are fortunate to have hummingbirds even here in Canada. This is the female of the only eastern breeder, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. It has been cool here in Sackville, NB lately- we had a high of 10°C today and it was wet- so hummers are vulnerable. I am feeding them so they are hanging around like "bees to a honey pot". This will not be my last post of this species this season!

I cropped for composition and performed other standard processing.

40D, 500 mm f4
capture date: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 3:17:02 PM
exposure program: Aperture Priority
ISO speed: 640
shutter speed: 1/500
aperture: f4.0
exposure bias: +0.0
metering: Pattern
light source: Auto
flash -1 ec

[Harold Davis]

fantastic perch and bg. bird's eye looks just a tad soft to me. good luck this season. cant wait to see what else you get!!

[Steve Maxson]

I like this one a lot, John. I like the simple composition, the clean background and the look of natural light (even though you used flash). The bird looks sharp on my monitor. There are a few small spots on the trout that appear a bit hot.

[Maxis Gamez]

HI John,

Lovely composition and mood. Simply but powerful.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

The hummer looks so puffed up, it must be chilly up there. I like the soft light and eye contact. Maybe a bit NR on the BG and I might tone down the whites on the neck and chest a bit.

[Arthur Morris]

There are a few small spots on the trout that appear a bit hot.

Did I miss the fish???

[Arthur Morris]

Wonderful sharpness, head angle, perch, and BKGR. Now lets see a male with the gorget lit up!

[Philippe Collard]

This is a very classy and simple image John. Love it! Take care of these little guys. It's almost freezing in QC too - or almost - hard times for the hummers. :)

Cheers,

Philippe.

[Steve Maxson]

Did I miss the fish???

Oooops!! Major disconnect between fingers and brain here. :) (Also a failure to proofread carefully.)

[Arthur Morris]

Mostly I let all the typos go but this one was too perfect to pass up <smile>