Hummingbirds

We have ruby-throated hummingbirds in our area. I've been trying to photograph them over the years, and was looking on the internet for suggestions about how to get good pictures of them. They've been really busy here in the last week or so, but of course, when I was hoping to see them and take photos, it's almost as if they've disappeared. They must be sitting on the eggs right now.

One of the suggestions was to use my flash and underexpose the ambient lighting, so this is what I tried. These pictures were taken in the daytime even though some look like they were taken at night. I will try to take more throughout the summer and hopefully will improve my technique. 

The male has a red or ruby throat  which shows up at different times, depending on how the light hits it. 

They are so tiny and yet so aggressive with each other. The males will often sit on a stalk (like the one above) and guard the hummingbird feeders. They aren't always drinking from it, but they don't want any other bird to use the feeder. I found it difficult to get a picture of them flying, so I guess that will be my goal for awhile. 

The female does not have the ruby throat and looks different in the throat area. They can be quite aggressive too.

 

It's so good to know that God knows us and loves us. He knows all the birds of the hills, which is amazing because there are so many of them, and so many different kinds.

New Grandson

We have a new grandson and I was able to be there for his birth. Of course, I took my camera, and was able to take some photos of the newborn. It's an exciting time for everyone.

His eyes were open for the next photo. Considering he was only 2 days old in this picture, I was glad to catch a time when they were open.

I still have much to learn, especially about the use of my 50 mm and using ISO. I think there's something to learn every time I use my camera.

Children are a gift from God. It's wonderful to have grandchildren too and we enjoy each of them. 

Painted Turtles at Point Pelee

If you ever get the chance to go to Point Pelee, be sure to go on the Marsh Boardwalk. It's a floating boardwalk, and you can walk for about half a mile around the marsh on it. This gives you a good chance to see birds, fish, and turtles. The day we went we didn't see too many birds, but we were able to see the painted turtles that were sunning, and they were close enough for photos.

There is an observation tower that lets you see out over the boardwalk and all around the marsh and across Lake Erie.

We see some painted turtles in our area, but usually they are too far away for me to take photos. The boardwalk lets you be out in the marsh, and it's easier to see the turtles than from a boat.

They are about 4 to 10 inches long, with the male being smaller than the female. I wouldn't know from these pictures which are male or female.

Apparently some have lived for more than 55 years in the wild. I wonder how old some of these turtles are?

So God created the great creatures of the sea 

and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it ...

Genesis 1:21

Scenery at Point Pelee

We really enjoyed the scenery while we were down at Point Pelee and I thought I'd share some of the spots with you. We camped at Sturgeon Woods Campground near Leamington, which is where the first picture was taken. We were able to watch the fish jumping as the sun was going down. Beautiful time to be out!

There were several geese families wandering around the park, and it was interesting to see the parents looking after the young ones. This goose posed for me as we were walking past the empty docks. I underexposed this picture to get the silhouettes.

This next one was taken at the tip of Point Pelee Park. The man is standing about as close to the tip as he should be. 

One of the evenings was spent on the east side of Point Pelee. The sunset on the other side was probably beautiful, but we enjoyed the colours on the east side too.

While we were walking along the beach, we saw a couple of deer in the distance. I took several pictures, and liked this one the best even thought there is only one deer in the photo. This is probably my favourite from the whole trip.

Let every thing that has breath praise the Lord. 

Praise you the Lord!

Psalm 150:6