The Hummingbird and "Red Molly"

I was very fortunate and surprised to encounter the hummingbird in the image below. I was not out with the intention of taking hummingbird pictures. I was trying to capture images of butterflies in flight. I was just standing there when she flew up on my left and starting feeding about 5 feet away. Of course I took advantage of the situation.

Hummingbirds are amazing. They are fearless, timid, loud, unbelievably vocal, and very territorial little acrobats of the air. I have always been in awe of their aerial skills. And they are one of my favorite birds to try to photograph. All you need is patience. A whole lot of patience and time! A good source of food to draw them in also helps. The most important thing is the ability to stay still for long periods. This is where patience plays its part. After awhile the hummingbirds will start to ignore your presence. And then the fun (and endless frustration!) begins. It’s all about pointing and shooting while they give you their time. The order of bird, lens, focus, and finger is sometimes not quick enough to catch the hummingbird before it has moved on and out of focus. Hopefully it hasn’t moved too far away and you can try to focus and shoot again. And then they’re off in a streak. Phew! Now it’s back to being very patient. They will come back in a little bit. The question now becomes about how long are you willing to sit still and be patient so that the cycle can repeat itself.

This image has been added to the PRINTS gallery.

The butterfly bush in this image, the “Miss Molly” variety, has supposedly the reddest blooming flower on a butterfly bush. When we planted this, I also became reacquainted with the song “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” by Richard Thompson. I just had to nickname the bush “Red Molly” and use Mr. Thompson’s accent whenever I referred to it. The garden it lived in had to be abandoned and a new septic drain field runs through it. “Red Molly” did not make it through the transition. But three other types of butterfly bushes have been added to the backyard, along with a slew of other pollinator perennials that we planted this spring. The backyard is starting to become alive again. And the hummingbirds are back too, floating from plant to plant and then gone for a bit. Hum, time to start thinking about being patient again.