The Howland Ruby-throated Hummingbird Page

Page by Royce
Last update: $Date: 2004/10/23 17:21:18 $ (UTC)

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is another of the species of hummers that inhabit the Calgary area during the summer months (the others being the Calliope and Rufous). Hummingbirds simply have to be the most amazing birds, bar none. Their coloration is brilliant, they're smaller than some wasps, they zoom around like little UFOs with wings beating faster than the eye can see... what can I say? They're just pure cool.

Two interesting facts about the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird: it is one of the smallest hummers, and it also has one of the longest migration routes. This makes it a super hummer!

If I think back, I must credit my initial foray into bird watching with my fascination with the hummingbirds that I often saw while working in Pasadena, California in 1996. Because they are small critters, not to mention fast movers, I had to buy some binoculars. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Resources where you can find out more:

• Ruby-throated Hummingbird profile at weaselhead.org
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird profile at CLO including sound sample

Docking maneuvers in space are harder than this...

This Ruby-throated Hummingbird (a female) appeared in our back yard August 18, 2002. I am the main shutterbug of the family, and I wasn't around to see it. Normally Deb would just have observed, but on this occasion she dashed inside and grabbed the camera. Returning to the yard, she found the hummer still buzzing among the flowers looking for nectar. The default auto-everything mode of the camera was not conducive to getting great shots in the short time available, especially with the extreme contrast in the light conditions. ISO 400 also produced some noise. Still, this action shot is interesting -- it shows the beating wings as an almost invisible blur. On this particular shot, a bit of digital zoom was added to help focus on the hummer amid the contrasty vegetation. Photo info: 320 x 303 true color Exposure time: 10/3453 F-stop: 5.3 ISO speed: 400 Focal length: 113.9000 (1.6X digital zoom plus 1.5X teleconverter) Exposure bias: 0.0000 Metering mode: Center Weighted Exposure program: Normal Compression: 6 Camera make: NIKON Camera model: E5700

Catching some big-time rays!

Another shot of the same bird on the same day, in direct sunlight. The shot is overexposed, producing an inverse silhouette effect. Photo info: 320 x 479 true color Exposure time: 10/1576 F-stop: 4.7 ISO speed: 400 Focal length: 71.2000 (plus 1.5X teleconverter) Exposure bias: 0.0000 Metering mode: Pattern Exposure program: Normal Compression: 6 Camera make: NIKON Camera model: E5700

Copyright Notice

Unless stated otherwise, all photos and other content on these pages is copyright © 2002 - 2003 by Royce Howland.

Please don't steal anything for your own purposes, in particular if you have a plan for making fabulous stacks of cash in so doing. If you would like to use a photo or other content you find here, or just want to contact us about something, please send email to royce@3ge.com.