Male Ruby Throated Hummingbird, shot through my kitchen window...
I think this post is worthy of the Amazing Nature Contests - August 2020 - #01
The male only has the red feathers in his throat area.. The female's throat is white...
The following pictures are all of the same bird at the same time in the same location... Depending on lighting and arrangement of feathers the throat can appear black...
His feathers were ruffled from grooming with his foot and beak...
I have two hummingbird feeders up..One by the kitchen window the other out of sight from the first in the backyard.
Hummingbirds are very territorial at feeding sites... I have watched them chase one another like jet fighters in aerial dog fights...
Amazing to watch with their unique flying abilities. The other day right out the kitchen window I see one go straight up between the 10' high bush and feeder with another one right on it's tail...
They must have terrific eye sight to maneuver between tree branches at blazing speeds.
There was another encounter where one was sitting in the evergreen bush with another one keeping it cornered there by rapidly flying back and forth..This went on until the one in the bush saw an opening and zoomed through it with the aggressor close behind..
Having a lot of Hummers visit my feeders I try not to keep them down to long while cleaning and refueling..
I boil the sugar water and make sure it has cooled before I take down a feeder to clean... which takes about five minutes.
While doing this the other day a female came looking for her always there source of food..
She was flying all around but not seeing anything.. Then she comes right up to see me at the window.. like asking if I knew anything about the missing magic flower... Her disappointment made me feel bad...
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Check out this web site for amazing videos that show the males red throat change color and its long tongue...
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruby-throated_Hummingbird/id
camera ... nikon 3500 with 70/300 mm zoom