Jackie's Hummingbird

Two days ago, on 12 August 2017, I again drove down to Turner Valley, this time to join a bunch of birding/photographer friends at Jackie's house. It was lovely to see everyone, chat, take a few photos, and enjoy a delicious lunch. Thanks so much, Jackie, for inviting us all!

Jackie has bird feeders galore around her deck and a variety of garden plants, including these bright red Bee Balm flowers, that attract Hummingbirds. Also, bees, butterflies and other nectar-feeding creatures love these tubular flowers.

I rarely get a chance to see and photograph Hummingbirds (though I had wonderful chances in March, on the island of Trinidad) and never find them easy to photograph with my point-and-shoot camera. At this gathering, I really appreciated a short lesson from Laurie, on the best way to take such photos. I gave it a try and, though I accidentally took 114 shots of this tiny bird without realizing it, there were maybe half a dozen that came out OK : ) Not brilliant, but way better than with my old camera. Thanks so much, Laurie!