All summer, I’ve been on a quest to get a picture of the hummingbirds. My neighbour has a trumpet vine, and I have the honeysuckle and butterfly bushes, so we get a lot of hummingbirds without every having to worry about putting out feeders.

Up until this weekend, this was the best I was able to manage

It’s dark, and grainy, but I was pleased you could see the little touch of red on his throat. Still – it’s not the quality I’ve come to expect from pictures with my long lens. I knew I could do better.

When Mom was here, she was up early one morning and enjoyed her tea on the catio porch before Dave and I got out of bed. She told me if I wanted to get some good pictures, I needed to get up early – as there were several of the little guys out there buzzing around while she had her tea.

So this past weekend, I did just that.

The first morning started out ok… I started out on the steps of the catio, and a hummingbird quickly appear at the Honeysuckle on the far end.

And unfortunately, even with my long lens, it was just too far away. So I decide to pack up, got a quilt to put on the damp grass and moved to the other side of the catio, closer to the honeysuckle

It was a slight better position… but those little hummers are still just hard to capture. Any movement from me sent them skittering off.

And then they decided the honeysuckle wasn’t worth it – there was a big, scary woman sitting below it. They decided the sweet peas on the arbour would be a better option…

But like the honey suckle from the catio steps… it was just too far from where I was sitting. I decided to be patient. The sun rose a little more, and it seemed like the were getting more used to me. When they weren’t battling each other mid air, they were spending more time on the honeysuckle… albeit on the opposite side from where I was sitting, so I couldn’t get pictures.

But then it happened…one little brave one came into view and stayed there. I started snapping… got one picture…

And then my camera battery died! Sadly, I only have one battery for the fancy camera, so that was it for the day. I packed up, went inside and did some sewing while the battery charged.

The next morning, with a freshly charged battery… I headed out there again and set up camp.

It didn’t take long for them to appear, and there were at least three of them fighting for airspace around the catio. Like the first, day, they did not seem to appreciate my presence near the honeysuckle. This time they opted for the white Butterfly bush.

Which, of course, was just a little too far away for really great pictures. Still – I say patiently and waited. They came back and forth to the honeysuckle a couple times, but never long enough for a picture. Then they surprised me by having a little snack from the Toad Lilies**.

I didn’t even know Toad Lilies were on the hummingbird menu! Like the Butterfly bush, the Toad Lilies were just a touch too far for the long lens.

Eventually though… my patience paid off.

This little female came to perch on the top of catio fence near me. She sat there for a good couple of minutes, watching the sky, and keeping a weather eye on me down below. And then she moved to honey suckle…

The light was still fairly low, so I couldn’t get the shutter speed fast enough to capture those little beating wings… but the pics were much more on par with what I’m used to!

It was certainly worth an hour or so waiting on the damp lawn.

And for bonus points… here’s another little hummer…

Not a Hummingbird, but a Hummingbird Hawk Moth. These guys are normally regular visitors as soon as the butterfly bushes start blooming. But this year, I hadn’t seen one!I assumed it was like the lack of other butterflies, and these guys numbers were poor this year. I had started to look into what I could plant to help them out. And then other day, I was out barbecuing and this one just appeared! I’ve seen a couple more since, then, but nothing like the number we’ve seen in previous years. Hopefully these guys bounce back next year.

** While I’m thrilled that the Toad Lilies are food for the hummingbirds, the plant’s location in the catio presents a problem… Keep your eye on the plant at the bottom of the stairs.

And not just once…

While the Honeysuckle adn Butterfly Bush Blooms are fairly high, the Toad Lilies only stand about three feet tall. That’s just too low and enticing for Mr. Lemmy.

So far, the little hummers have been faster… but one day one might not be. So the toad lilies will be getting a new home soon.