Thank goodness for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at Orlando Wetlands

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.