A CUBAN EMERALD HUMMINGBIRD AT DELPHI, ABACO
Mostly, the Cuban Emeralds at Delphi spend their days perching briefly on twigs before zooming like tiny green rockets to their next appointment – an inviting sugar-water feeder, a promising flower or maybe yet another tempting twig. Sometimes, pairs will put on an acrobatic mid-air display, flitting around each other at high speed, chittering, before disappearing into the coppice together. Avian speed-dating. Occasionally, they are more contemplative. I recently posted HERE about one that had let me get (very slowly) right up to it. Emeralds may be quite hard to spot in amongst the green leaves, but often they are there, quietly watching you go by. Here is one that stayed put when I stopped to admire it.
I’ll tuck my wing in neatly if you are going to take pics of me
Uh-oh! Close-ups. This is my better side.
That’s enough, human. I’ve stopped the posing. Now push off and leave me alone.
In close-up, the feathers look like tiny iridescent pine needle fans
The Delphi Club: a hive of activity for birds (to mangle a metaphor)
How beautiful! I’ve only ever seen such colourful birds like this in the wild in North Carolina, the red cardinals. Sad that they never eat chocolate though.
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I believe red cardinals – which I love too – are very partial to cake. Especially choccy cake. You’d know all about its properties, being a beekeeper. You’ll find some RCs on my underblog here http://rollingharbourlife.wordpress.com/2013/02/23/1815/ RH
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It’s true, I am sort of an expert on choccy cake. A keeper, of sorts. I like RCs even more now.
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“Of sorts”, EST? Goal? Wicket? Game? No – it’s bees isn’t it? RH
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:)!
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What patience you have! To wait for just the right moment for a hummingbird to appear!
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No, IT was the patient creature. I was walking (carefully) past a woody / shrubby area of ‘coppice’ when I saw it quite close by in the leaves, watching me. Mostly they’ll shoot off as soon as one even touches a camera, but this one was very relaxed in the sun. RH
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Congratulations on a beautiful “capture”! I can never get enough of hummingbirds!
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Thanks Annie. They are so rewarding to photograph – when they pause. My camera isn’t sophisticated enough to freeze them in flight (or that may be just me, of course). But getting so close to one is such a pleasure. RH
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Gorgeous pictures of a gorgeous bird! Love the one of the pine needle feather pattern.
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Thanks Lucy. Cute, aren’t they? They weigh 5 gms, and never eat chocolate. RH
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