One of my favorite subjects to photograph during the summer months are the hummingbirds.
I set up a little “bird studio” in my backyard, consisting of a hummingbird feeder hanging in the middle of a garden full of bee balm flowers. This area is frequented all summer by various ruby-throated hummingbirds. On rare occasions, I may see a hummingbird moth or two.
In order to photograph these birds in flight, I often have to shoot at 1/4000 second shutter speed or even faster.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds transform summer gardens into theaters of aerial acrobatics. These tiny birds, weighing less than a penny, beat their wings up to 80 times per second while hovering at feeders and flowers. The males display brilliant ruby-red throat patches that flash like jewels in sunlight, while females sport white throats with subtle green backs.
These remarkable birds migrate incredible distances, with some crossing the 500-mile Gulf of Mexico in a single nonstop flight. During summer months, they establish territories around reliable food sources like bee balm, cardinal flower and hummingbird feeders. Their needle-like bills allow them to reach deep into tubular flowers, while their long tongues can extend beyond their bills to lap nectar. Ruby-throated hummingbirds also consume small insects and spiders for protein, often catching them in mid-air or plucking them from spider webs.
The Marblehead Current is proud to partner with photographer Rick Cuzner, who has been photographing local wildlife for over 16 years.
