My parents are so lucky.  They have hummingbirds almost year-round in their backyard.  I know, I know, my mom thinks I’m lucky because I get Painted Buntings in my backyard.  I guess it’s true that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.  Anyway, I enjoyed the opportunity to photograph my mom’s hummingbird last weekend.

This is a female Ruby-Throated Hummingbird.  A few weeks ago, she had a regular male visitor instead.  They tend to take turns.  My parents have a ton of flowering plants in their big backyard, which turns it into Nectar Paradise for Florida’s tiniest bird.

Sometimes the trick to photographing hummingbirds is to find their perching spot.  They are known for their fast flight and their nectaring habits, but they may spend less than a few seconds at your flowering bush with each short meal.  But they will find a perch and sit on it for long moments in between meals.  They like high perches, where they can keep an eye out on their territory while they rest.  My mom’s hummingbird has a perch in the “Treasure Tree” in the backyard.  Despite the winds that afternoon, the little bird stayed on her perch for a long time, not even minding when I went and got my camera.  Click, click!

Maybe she likes photographers.  As soon as I started shooting, she struck a pose!

These are Sleeping Hibiscus flowers, also known as Turk’s Cap.  They are fast-growing bushes that bloom throughout the year.  Hummingbirds love the small, red flowers that are full of nectar.  My mom’s hummingbird kept returning to these bushes to nectar, but she never stayed long enough for me to get a photo.  So I took a photo of the place where the hummingbird should have been…

I’m looking forward to a return visit with this cooperative little beauty!