Bird of the Week – Violet-bellied Hummingbird
WC loves hummingbirds; their absence in Interior Alaska is a major drawback to an otherwise great place for birders. But it’s South America where hummingbirds really reach their peak in colors, populations and varieties.
Violet-bellied Hummingbird
Perhaps you can agree with WC: a bird that looks like this is reason enough to visit South America; specifically, Ecuador.
Technical stuff: tripod, f6.7, 1/250, ISO800.
For more bird images, visit Frozen Feather Images.
I occasionally follow the hummingbird web cam in southern California. “Phoebe” lives in a rosebush and lays 2 eggs up to 3 times a season. Not monogamous, those little darlings. This lovely Equadorian is a sapphire beauty.
We haven’t seen any hummingbirds in the forest here since Tuesday.
They’ve headed across the Gulf of Mexico to sunnier climes, no doubt.
Little violet is an iridescent beauty.
Many thanks for sharing, WC.
Ahh, WC, your bird photography knocks my socks off, even when I’m barefoot. Thanks so much.
When we bought this property 20-some-odd years ago, it came with a family of Ruby-throated hummingbirds. Some years they have friends living with them in the area (we’ve had up to 3-dozen flitting around our feeders at a time!) — some years, it’s just the parents and one baby. Many generations have we had…and I love it. Always entertaining and enthralling. And beautiful!
As an added bonus to their inherent over-all awesomeness, I can tell when a storm is going to hit our spot on the hill in 5-minutes and when there’s only 5 more minutes until it’s over — our hummingbirds, incredible critters that they are, ‘tell’ me. They ALWAYS visit the feeders those two (additional) times. Although they “click-tweet’ and ‘scold’ each other at all other times, they’re always as silent as silent can be (non-vocal), when they ‘storm watch’ for me.
Folks in my home will be all “Here comes the storm” and all, but I just keep an eye on the feeders and can tell them when it’ll actually hit us. Hummingbirds show up and it’ll be 5 minutes. Period. No question about it. And even though the storm is just a-raging all kinds of ways, if I see the hummingbirds at the feeders, I know it’ll be over in 5 minutes. Period. No question about it. (Take that Al Roker, Weather Channel, and Doppler Radar on local channels!) Amazing critters, my wee friends. Yup, totally delightful. I love, Love, LOVE me some hummingbirds. beth.
Just a wonderful story, Beth! How fortunate for you!
Beautiful!
Those colors!
We only get the Rufous here in Southeast Alaska and they are very snappy dressers but this one is just stunning.
Almost convinces me it would be worth the trip to see real live.
Bad hip which hates airplanes is not convinced so maybe I’ll leave it behind 🙂