As I was out stalking Swallowtails, this happy little hummer paid a visit.
He spent half his time hovering, and the other half just hanging around.
He helped himself to some nectar from the butterfly bush…
…and then perched on the blossoms for a bit.
Hummingbirds have very weak feet and have a hard time walking or hopping like other birds, so they spend most of their time either flying or perching.
I was thrilled that this little fellow stuck around long enough for me to get several shots – usually they are busy dipping, diving, and darting away!
Backyard Bird Nerd 
Very nice captures!! Nice and sharp! I especially loved the one of it sitting still. 😁
He sat there for quite awhile, which was nice because I am not a fast focus!
Wow!! Great captures. Especially the perch on blossom. A rare catch indeed!!!
Having him hang out was a treat! 🙂
Beautiful captures, Kathy!
Thank you!
Beautiful photos Kathy 👌🏼
Thank you! Hmmm…maybe one day you’ll paint that last picture!
Definitely it’s on my list 😀 😀 Thank you for letting me paint your birds 💕
Thanks for the up-close shots … I’m surprised I have not seen more of them around in this hot weather. I pass a person’s house on my daily walk and they have two hummingbird feeders but I never see any hummers there. Maybe they are enjoying the “real deal” like at your house.
Mine have been ignoring the feeders and opting for the flowers too…I guess God-made nectar is better than man made!
It sounds like it – they figure your hummer feeders will still be there for them if the other flowers wilt and are not accessible to them.
Great shots Kathy, thanks for sharing!
You are most welcome! 🙂
I have never noticed the patterns on their throat, like some of your images show… do you know what this means? Beautiful photos, my favorite bird!! 💚💙💛
They are interesting little birds. The males, at times, have a ruby throat (hence the name, ruby-throated hummingbirds), but the feathers themselves aren’t actually red, it’s just the way they react to light. Cool science stuff that I don’t really understand!
They are thick around my Cannas too! I have never been able to get a photo shot of any. I guess they know I got a cat & the hummers don’t trust me 😲
I would imagine they would keep a fair distance from the kitty!
I need a better camera 😉
These are wonderful, particularly the shots where he’s perching.
Now that I am used to their flying straight at me, I enjoy them!
Oh, my goodness! What amazing captures of that little beauty. You are so lucky, I have never been able to get a good photo of little hummers. Thank you for sharing these I really enjoyed them. Hugs
They tend to be rather evasive!
Yes, they do.
Humming birds are a favorite of mine. I hadn’t seen one is so very long, until a couple days ago! Sadly though, before that it had been at least 2 years! your pictures are stunning! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
I was happy this little guy showed up…an unexpected gift. 🙂
So nice..kudos to your efforts.. really lucky to get those shots…superb work
Thank you. A lot of it is just being at the right place at the right time.