I didn’t do so well catching action shots of hummingbirds this past summer. I didn’t have many opportunities and when I had them, I usually seemed to blow the chance. This handsome orange fellow though gave me a few captures.

Taken at the end of July as we were spending a week camping in Arapaho National Forest, it was a cool, rainy day, keeping us cooped up at camp. Our entertainment for the day was watching this guy as he vigorously guarded a feeder, ensuring no other hummingbird got a single drink.

By now, most hummingbirds have started their migration south for the winter so I will be anxiously awaiting their return in the spring.

A pretty interesting image, I think, of one of the forest’s smallest residents hanging out on the some of the remnants of a massive wildfire.

These little guys are usually one the move but I was able to capture this female rufous hummingbird when it stopped briefly, allowing me to get her portrait. She was posing on a four-foot-high pine tree that was charred by the East Troublesome Fire last October.

Somewhat a sad scene but, the hummingbirds were more numerous than we have ever seen them in the area. With the trees gone, the sun was reaching areas of the forest floor that previously would have been shaded the majority of the day. This allowed the wildflowers to flourish and the hummingbirds were definitely taking advantage of it.

Well, now you have. 😉 

Meet Orange Joe. Joe is a rufous hummingbird and was a constant presence at one of our two feeders during our recent extended camping trip in the Colorado high country. Like most rufous hummingbirds, he was kind of a jerk.

He claimed one of the feeders as his and absolutely refused to allow any other hummingbirds to take a drink. Sometimes he would perch right on the feeder guarding it, other times he would perch in the surrounding trees, lying in wait and ready to dive bomb any who dared to try to partake. He was such a dominating presence, we gave him a name although I admit it isn’t very original. Haha.

In the wake of wildfires late last fall, the forest is in a state of regrowth and most notable were fireweed and hummingbirds in numbers / amounts we have never seen before in the area.

I presume without the tree canopy above, the fireweed is taking advantage of the added sunlight, covering entire areas in pink and purple. The hummingbirds, in turn, were taking advantage of the blooms and constantly a source of entertainment in the Colorado high country.

Here, one of the fast-movers takes a sip from a bloom with a nice “spot light” on its head.

Check your six! Like fighter pilots of old, hummingbirds oftentimes have some pretty extraordinary fights in the air. They aren’t easy subjects to get photos of in flight, let alone when two are in an aerial duel.

Taken last month in southwestern Colorado, two female black-chinned hummingbirds just could not get along and share the feeder. Here, one does its best to evade while another gives pursuit.

On our recent trip to southwestern Colorado and Ridgway State Park, I was hoping to photograph my first hummingbirds of the season. Given the location, I was particularly keen on seeing some black-chinned hummingbirds.

Indeed, from the first day, there were plenty of opportunities. For four days though, all I saw were female and juveniles, none of the more colorful males.

Finally, on the last evening, a handsome male showed up. He was extraordinarily skittish and not one to hang around – except this one time. He perched in a nearby tree and allowed me to get close enough to get a few decent shots, briefly giving a look at that awesome, purple, iridescent throat.

What will probably end up being one of the last pictures of a hummingbird this year.

Sitting in the backyard waiting for one of these guys to visit our flowers, I heard a familiar sound from behind me in a pine tree. I swiveled around and there it was, a broad-tailed hummingbird perfectly silhouetted against the late afternoon sun.

Since this was taken last week, I have caught a few fleeting glimpses of these summertime visitors but they aren’t sticking around, mainly doing drivebys of the feeders as they work their way south for the winter.

I just learned that these little guys have their own day that is today! That works out well as we have had a few gathering their energy in our yard the last couple of days, preparing for their long migration south.

They have been opting for eating from the zauschneria, preferring them to our artificial feeders. Kind of fun to be able to just sit in the backyard and get a photo op.

It took a lot of work and patience but this pretty lady finally gave me one of the shots I was looking for this past weekend.

The hummingbirds were quite active and while I got many captures of them, I was really wanting to get a shot of one with a bit of a “spotlight” on it. For the longest time, I was either getting captures of them in full sun or in full shadow.

Then, finally, this pretty lady sat in the right spot with one bit of dappled light illuminating her head. Just gorgeous and a capture I am really pleased with.

Taken in Golden Gate Canyon State Park, Colorado.