ColorChallenge Orange Tuesday: “Itching on a Branch”, text and photo by @eric-boucher.
ColorChallenge Orange Tuesday: “Itching on a Branch”
Strangeness comes around a corner on a sunny day when a newly acquired and unusual friend comes wizzing by… Which one of your friends would travelling over 3000 miles to come to my location every year to come by for a seasonal visit? It would take about 150 of them to weigh a total of 1 single pound, with super powerful pectoral muscles taking up to 30% of its entire mass, averaging 1200 heart beats per minute and flapping its wings between 50 and 200 times per seconds, you probably have understood what kind of friend I am referring to: The Rufous Hummingbird.
The season of love for hummingbirds had started a little while earlier in May and, being one of my very favourite subject then, catching a glimpse and a clear photograph of these miracles of the animal kingdom is not only a challenge but an exhilarating experience in itself, at least for me. Being so fast, capable of reaching speeds of over 100 km/h (60 miles per hour) on a dive or half that speed on a horizontal departure and this in 1/10th of a second!
Renown for being the fiercest of all hummingbirds, their territorial displays are legendary. Here, this mature elderberry bush provides a perfect watchtower for the nest found about 2 meters below (8 feet). The vivid greens of the young leaves and the ripening berries are offering a great contrast with the sky, the branches and my tiny friend glowing orange.
It had been eating for a while when it decided to perch itself over this branch’s dead end. I had observed many different behaviours over the years and managed to photograph a few of them. In this picture, a scratching maybe even washing behaviour offers an incredible pose as it bent down and twisted itself just under the leaf while keeping watch over my every movement. One more moment witnessing the grace of rufous hummingbirds!
Beautiful. The colors look stunning.
Thanks a lot for the comment, I'm glad you can appreciate it. Namaste :)
you are welcome
I love birds, I guess when I was younger I never paid attention to them cause they were always just there. I've recently become so interested in them. Awesome post! Upvoted for sure!
I love the tone of your comment and the little story you brought forth for us. Thanks for sharing and for the lush appreciative words!
Namaste :)
Hummingbirds intrigue me, more so now with the Rufous. Thank you @eric-boucher.
I know hey!?! They are such a surreal animal. I'm glad you enjoyed and to hear this post peeked your curiosity.
Namaste :)
Truly beautiful... and educational too! Thank you, that was a great read.... Just joined Steemit today and loving the quality and variety of the content on here... you're part of that! Keep up the great work.
With love
Hart Floe
<3
That is the kind of comments and positive light I keep an eye for out here. Such words and behaviour helps us all. Thus, all for one and one for all! Welcome aboard the Steemit Train then.
Namaste :)
Thank you very much my brother... so pleased to be here but can see there is a lot to learn! Glad to have stumbled across this beautiful post on my first day!
Namaste my friend <3
A pleasure, glad you did...
Namaste :)
The post has been upvoted and resteemed! I started to follow you to see more of your work!
Hummingbirds are so wonderful, and it is really cool to see one this orange color, something I have not seen before. Thank you for sharing.
I am so glad you get to experience, second-hand, a rufous humming bird. They are a delight, though quite aggressive... Thank you so very much for the kind words and, especially, the resteem! But more importantly, joining the fellowship really warms my heart once and for all. Much gratitude to you, there's a load more coming our way through this channel. Stay tuned!
Namaste :)
Namaste :)
This is your one of the super work. How could you that. Excellent shot in one word. Sunny day, Blue sky,beautiful green tree and the most important part of this photograph, Humming bird...combining all makes the photograph the best photograph.
thank you so very much!
You sure appreciate this photograph to its full extent, I much gratitude for it is flowing your way.
Namaste :)
Fierce and fluttering spirit messager.
I believe in the tales and legends that revolve around hummingbirds. Whenever I see a hummingbird I imagine a departed soul is near me.
I love the way the depths of your soul rise on every comments you have ever shared with me, they ring and reverberate for a long time along the river of my consciousness.
Much appreciation always! Namaste :)
WOW, what a lucky strike! It seems like this little darling is fighting the wind with all his will!
🌺
Just started following you! You're a new discovery thanks to @nainaztengra.
xx
@elenahornfilm
As you can see, the leaves aren't moving a iota sure sign of the situation there then... On the other hand, I have quite a few shots of hummingbirds fighting the winds!
Thanks a lot for joining the circle of this fellowship, it is much appreciated! I look forward to seeing your work too now. ;)
See you soon, namaste :)
Thanks, you're such a gentle soul.
We went up into the Alps yesterday in order to take pictures in one of the smallest village in Italy. At the end of the day I thought: Wow, this was wonderful, such extraordinary images and fabulous characters - but I didn't photograph a single animal.
I must go back in spring and search for the wildlife specifically.
xx
@elenahornfilm
We definitely are on the same wavelength! I look forward to seeing the results of your photography and read about the whole trip!
Namaste :)
So sweet little hummingbird! You are so lucky you caught the perfect moment. I'm glad you also participate on my #colorchallenge! Namaste!
As I was mentioning in the article, I love hummingbirds and they are one of my favourite subject to photograph, for the challenge and their raw beauty. I have LOTS of hummingbird pictures... More to come I guess!?.
Thanks a lot for hosting this wonderful contest, it is so much appreciated and inspires me to post a lot more than I would if you weren't offering it. This is a great inspiration for me and there's more gratitude flowing your way than words can say.
Namaste :)
Nice and colourful. Nature's green is the way to go. I love your ingenuity. Thanks for sharing
Much kindness in your words and thoughts. It is all really appreciated!
Namaste :)