Post by Ely Teehankee on Jun 11, 2012 20:51:11 GMT
It was with much anticipation to see the Hummingbirds of Costa Rica. I have seen them in the United States but I was not into bird photography than. Now it is the most exciting thing for me to be doing. Here I will share some of the hummers that I saw at the feeders and those that are perch on some branches nearby.
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, Canon EF 300mm
f/2.8L IS USM with Gitzo GT3530LS tripod, Wimberley WH200 head. Manual exposure in available light.
Facts about Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds are the smallest birds in the world.
For their size, hummingbirds have the largest heart and brain of all animals.
Hummingbirds have no sense or smell.
Hummingbird wings beat around 60 times per second
Hummingbird hearts beat from 500 to 1,200 times per minute
Hummingbirds are only found in North, Central & South America
Hummingbirds visit 2,000 to 5,000 flowers a day
Hummingbirds can consume twice their weight daily
Their color is produced by refraction of light, not by pigment
Their average speed is 45 miles per hour
Their tongues are twice the length of their bills
In addition to nectar, hummingbirds eat insects for protein
Hummingbirds cannot walk, only perch
Hummingbirds fly only 20% of the time
Hummingbirds are notorious for their ability to rotate the entire wing at the shoulders, permitting stationary hovering and even backwards flight, the latter of which is a skill exclusive to hummingbirds.
Green Violet-ear Hummingbird (Colibri thalassinus) 4 inches (10 cm) is usually common in the highlands. San Gerardo de Dota is about 3,000 meters above sea level. At the Savegre Lodge they have feeders and it is almost non stop of humming birds going in and out. When you get close to the feeder they would buzz you probably they don't want you competing with them for the nectar. Among themselves they would fight for a particular place on the feeder.
1/1600 sec., f/5.6 ISO 800
This is the female Purple Throated Mountain-gem (Lampornis calolaemus). 4 inches (10 cm) They will fly, hover, or perch but cannot walk. Strange but true.
1/2000 sec., f/5.6 ISO 800
This is a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) 3 inches (8 cm). No other Costa Rica hummer combines a red gorget with a black, forked tail. I was lucky to have a rear view of this bird but no luck in getting a front view.
1/2000 sec., f/5.6 ISO 800
This Green Violet Ear taken at 1/2000 sec. was not enough to freeze the wing while the bird was hovering. He really dips his beak into the hole to sip on the nectar with his long tongue.
1/2000 sec., f/5.6 ISO 800
This female Purple Throated Mountain Gem is perched comfortably
while sipping the nectar from the feeder.
2000 sec., f/5.6 ISO 800
This Green Violet Ear hummer is standing majestically after having a sip of the water mixed with sugar. The feeder is replenish with fresh mixture of 1 part sugar and 4 parts water regularly as the birds drink aggressively and there are many of them drinking at the same time and coming back from time to time. It is discourage to put feeders as the birds do not go to the flowers to pollinate them as often when the feeders are available. But hotels wants to attract the guest with their birds on the feeders. Hundreds of bird watchers go there everyday. Ariel could not get me a room in this Lodge but we have no regrets as staying in Dantica gave me an opportunity to see the other beautiful birds.
1/2500 sec., f/2.8 ISO 400
With so many birds to choose from I just look for the bird that is not moving so much as my target. It looks like there are more Green Violet Violet Ear than the others.
1/160 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
This is also a Green Violet Ear but I don't know if its immature, molting, or the angle of the sun that caused the feathers to glow like gold.
1/2000 sec., f/5.6, ISO 800
Suppose to be the smallest humming bird is the Volcano Hummingbird (Selaphorus flammula) 3 inches (8 cm). I was taking pictures of another bird that had some sunlight when this bird just appeared and when I saw it hovering over the flowers I took a chance of taking a shot. To my surprised only the wing is blurred at 1/200 sec. What a pleasant surprise.
1/200 sec., f/2.8, ISO 800
I was taking pictures of other birds when this female Volcano Hummingbird landed 4.17 meters in front of me. I swiveled the camera and was able to take a close up picture of this frisky little bird. They zoom in and out at 45 miles per hour.
1/250 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600 with 2X TC
1/250 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600 with 2X TC
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, Canon EF 300mm
f/2.8L IS USM with Gitzo GT3530LS tripod, Wimberley WH200 head. Manual exposure in available light.
Facts about Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds are the smallest birds in the world.
For their size, hummingbirds have the largest heart and brain of all animals.
Hummingbirds have no sense or smell.
Hummingbird wings beat around 60 times per second
Hummingbird hearts beat from 500 to 1,200 times per minute
Hummingbirds are only found in North, Central & South America
Hummingbirds visit 2,000 to 5,000 flowers a day
Hummingbirds can consume twice their weight daily
Their color is produced by refraction of light, not by pigment
Their average speed is 45 miles per hour
Their tongues are twice the length of their bills
In addition to nectar, hummingbirds eat insects for protein
Hummingbirds cannot walk, only perch
Hummingbirds fly only 20% of the time
Hummingbirds are notorious for their ability to rotate the entire wing at the shoulders, permitting stationary hovering and even backwards flight, the latter of which is a skill exclusive to hummingbirds.
Green Violet-ear Hummingbird (Colibri thalassinus) 4 inches (10 cm) is usually common in the highlands. San Gerardo de Dota is about 3,000 meters above sea level. At the Savegre Lodge they have feeders and it is almost non stop of humming birds going in and out. When you get close to the feeder they would buzz you probably they don't want you competing with them for the nectar. Among themselves they would fight for a particular place on the feeder.
1/1600 sec., f/5.6 ISO 800
This is the female Purple Throated Mountain-gem (Lampornis calolaemus). 4 inches (10 cm) They will fly, hover, or perch but cannot walk. Strange but true.
1/2000 sec., f/5.6 ISO 800
This is a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) 3 inches (8 cm). No other Costa Rica hummer combines a red gorget with a black, forked tail. I was lucky to have a rear view of this bird but no luck in getting a front view.
1/2000 sec., f/5.6 ISO 800
This Green Violet Ear taken at 1/2000 sec. was not enough to freeze the wing while the bird was hovering. He really dips his beak into the hole to sip on the nectar with his long tongue.
1/2000 sec., f/5.6 ISO 800
This female Purple Throated Mountain Gem is perched comfortably
while sipping the nectar from the feeder.
2000 sec., f/5.6 ISO 800
This Green Violet Ear hummer is standing majestically after having a sip of the water mixed with sugar. The feeder is replenish with fresh mixture of 1 part sugar and 4 parts water regularly as the birds drink aggressively and there are many of them drinking at the same time and coming back from time to time. It is discourage to put feeders as the birds do not go to the flowers to pollinate them as often when the feeders are available. But hotels wants to attract the guest with their birds on the feeders. Hundreds of bird watchers go there everyday. Ariel could not get me a room in this Lodge but we have no regrets as staying in Dantica gave me an opportunity to see the other beautiful birds.
1/2500 sec., f/2.8 ISO 400
With so many birds to choose from I just look for the bird that is not moving so much as my target. It looks like there are more Green Violet Violet Ear than the others.
1/160 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
This is also a Green Violet Ear but I don't know if its immature, molting, or the angle of the sun that caused the feathers to glow like gold.
1/2000 sec., f/5.6, ISO 800
Suppose to be the smallest humming bird is the Volcano Hummingbird (Selaphorus flammula) 3 inches (8 cm). I was taking pictures of another bird that had some sunlight when this bird just appeared and when I saw it hovering over the flowers I took a chance of taking a shot. To my surprised only the wing is blurred at 1/200 sec. What a pleasant surprise.
1/200 sec., f/2.8, ISO 800
I was taking pictures of other birds when this female Volcano Hummingbird landed 4.17 meters in front of me. I swiveled the camera and was able to take a close up picture of this frisky little bird. They zoom in and out at 45 miles per hour.
1/250 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600 with 2X TC
1/250 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600 with 2X TC