Polly Krauter
March 2025 - Annas Hummingbird Chick
Original
About the Image(s)
Handheld canon R5, 100-500 zoom
500 mm, f/7.1, 1/3200 sec, ISO 640
In LR I cropped and removed spots of feces.
Our backyard is a popular location for nesting Anna’s hummingbirds. This was our first clutch of hummingbirds this year. One of the two chicks fledged the day prior to this photograph being taken, and the chick in the image flew away hours after the photo was taken.
12 comments posted
Lucky you to have hummers nesting in your yard. I have lots of hummers coming to my feeders but can never find their nests. I think your crop works well at bringing the main focus on the birds. You have captured a nice story with chick and parent at possibly feeding time. Great catch light in the eyes and the birds look nice and sharp. My only suggestions would be to remove the bright area of branch on the right above the main branch, tone down the brightness of the leaves on the right and maybe add a small border around the image so the viewer knows the boundaries of the image especially in the darker top of the image. Well done. Posted: 03/12/2025 14:56:56
Thank you great suggestions. I need to learn how to add borders. We already have a second nest, just outside the patio door. We plant our yard for pollinators and we get multiple nesting each year. Posted: 03/16/2025 12:31:00
I have always wanted to find a humming bird's nest...I try to track them as they leave the feeder, but have never been successful in figuring out where the nest is. i am amazed that you were able to get so close. I basically agree with all of Pam's suggestions and would add that you might try to slightly lighten the bill of the chick as I feel it almost fades away into the darkness. The light on the nest is perfect in my opinion...it almost looks like flash was used. I like this image a lot. Posted: 03/13/2025 11:30:11
A bit more light on the chick beak is a good idea. The shadow of the mother's beck run across the chick's beak and I didn't want to remove it. Since the nest is so close to our house I had plenty of time to wait for the right light and action. By the way, I am in an Audubon club and using flash is frowned upon. We had a lecture on owls the other night and the author had clearly used flash, nice photos but... Posted: 03/16/2025 12:40:08
Glad to hear you are a fellow Audubon member. Also glad to hear you did not use flash photography...you found natural spectacular light! We are very active with our local club, lead bird ID classes &do the bird counts. We are seeing dimishing numbers of birds in our region the last few years. Are you seeing the same in your area? Posted: 03/16/2025 12:44:55
The weather dictates bird counts around here. For the Christmas Bird counts we had fewer species and number, but it was cold and windy. California is very nervous about the spread of Avian bird flu. It is hitting ducks, geese and birds of prey, as well as hitting the chicken industry very hard. We monitor bluebird boxes and we are taking extra care to keep the boxes clean and safe. So far, the song birds are less susceptible. Why do you think the bird counts are diminishing in your area? Posted: 03/16/2025 13:22:57
We also had bad weather for teh Christmas bird count. But Arkansas is known as the Waterfowl Capitol of the US and our duck population is also down. Tyson is here and many farmers raise poultry for them so avian flu is also a concern. In my opinon habitat loss and climate change are wreaking havoc on the bird population worldwide. So sad. Posted: 03/16/2025 14:44:27
Wonderful image. The patchwork nest is fascinating. The sharp features of the nest and birds and the depth imparted by the light and dark areas draw me right into the nest. It looks like the mother is offering an wooly worm impaled on its beak. Is that the case? If not I would address the illusion by darkening or removing the spot since you already removed other spots. If is is a worm offering I would lighten it just a bit for clarity. Posted: 03/13/2025 21:24:00
Great eye Judith, I didn't notice the bit behind the adult's beak. I think it is part of the background that I can darken. Thank you for the suggestion. Posted: 03/16/2025 12:42:53
Wonderful image. The two birds are very sharp and I love the lighting on the parent illuminating the green feathers. I had noticed the spot Judith had mentioned and felt it was indeed part of the background. A little burning in that area might help as the parent's beak is bright in that foreground area. The catch light in each eye really seem to add to the image. Your camera setting are right on for this situation and the use of your natural light creates a real feeling of nature and natural setting. Posted: 03/16/2025 15:26:54
Thank you Tom, I will darken the orange bit (old, dried out leaf I think) behind the beak. Posted: 03/17/2025 17:41:46
Love it and am envious of having nests at your house and being able to follow the life cycle of these beauties. I can't add anything to the other suggestions. Great shot. Posted: 03/20/2025 16:14:27