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Old 09-17-2015, 08:23 AM   #35
SteveA
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Default A few from this summer

Name:  male_hummingbird_8-17-15.jpg 2.jpg
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Name:  female hummingbird_far.jpg
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As of this morning our pair is still here and active at the feeder.

It's pretty hard to "stop" the wings for photos due to the very fast wing speed. I use a flash, and that helps a little.



Male and female hummingbirds can be identified simply based on the color of their feathers. Male hummingbirds have bright feathers to attract females and to deter males by expressing their dominance. A patch of brightly-colored feathers on the necks of males is known as a gorget. A gorget's color range includes red, purple, orange, blue and pink. When hit with sunlight, the gorget will glisten due to refraction, or the bending of sunlight against the different-sized feathers. Males can make the gorget appear to be black to avoid attracting predators.

Unlike males, female hummingbirds have no bright feathers to display. Females are often brown or dull green in color.
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