Thank goodness for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at Orlando Wetlands
Roger Simmons,
During the dog-days of summer birding at the Orlando Wetlands, the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have been a godsend.
I woke up late and got to the wetlands around 9 a.m. on Sunday. It was already hot, the sun was pretty high and there were only a few birds around. But when I arrived at their favorite firebush, the hummingbirds were still there.
It was just another photographer and myself who got to watch these birds darting about quickly, gathering nectar or zipping around the area. (As a bonus, we also got to see an Eastern Black Swallowtail butterfly join the hummingbirds feasting on the flowers.)
Since this was my third trip to photograph the hummingbirds, I tried some new camera settings (my shutter speed was still too slow for their rapidly-fluttering wings) and a couple of new angles (was happier with those).
When there isn’t much else to photograph at the Orlando Wetlands, these Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have made the summer trips to Christmas worthwhile.
Peafowl is the name for birds that I grew up calling peacocks – but only the male peafowl are called that. The females are called peahens, and their babies are called peachicks.
Over the course of the past three days, I visited three of my favorite birding spots: Orlando Wetlands (twice), Black Point Wildlife Drive on Merritt Island and Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive. The Belted Kingfishers I photographed on Friday sort of stole all my attention, but I did get to take…
I woke up fairly early and decided to head to the Orlando Wetlands. It was a cool, cloudy morning – but apparently I was in a fog. I was so disappointed in my photos I had to go back again later and try again.