Stalking the Wild Hummer

I spent a great deal of time this summer perfecting my wildlife stalking techniques - hiding in the shadows of the sunflowers, standing perfectly still, slooooowly and silently creeping closer and closer to get the best angle on the various eager feasters that came to the Scratch House garden. Most of the butterflies, particularly the black swallowtails, ignored me and went about their business with the zinnias. The birds that came for the sunflower seeds - goldfinches, tufted titmice, and chickadees - were more challenging subjects. Even when I was able to sneak close to the garden as they fed, the reflection of light off my camera lens would give me away and put them to flight. I should probably invest in a good telephoto lens, but for now I am addicted to the thrill of the chase and the adrenaline rush that comes with every close shot.

At first the hummingbird was shy and would hover at a distance when I got close, but she eventually got used to me and even seemed to enjoy the attention. I felt like paparazzo, madly clicking away as she made her way from flower to flower. When I turned my attention to focusing on a goldfinch that was perched on a tall sunflower nearby, ecstatic that I had managed to get within 5 feet of the bird with a good clear shot, my little hummingbird came over and hovered right in front of the camera - long enough to distract me from the bird, but not long enough for me to refocus on her. The resulting picture was a blur of nothing, but it was still one of the most exciting shots of the summer.

The Cornell University Lab of Ornithology has a great recording of hummingbird chipping and wings humming.