Hummingbirds Jousting

A hot day in the upper 90’s did not stop hummingbirds from non-stop aerobatics around the feeder all day.

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I tried to get a few still shots of the action but it was difficult trying to get a sharp auto-focus with all the movement.

Incoming!

They certainly use their tails to help them make these sharp maneuvers.

Having such an abundance of hummingbirds in one day makes for great views especially opportunities to see the flash of bright red on the male’s throat.

Same bird - red feathers flash at the right angle!

According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology:

Inside the nanostructure of hummingbird feathers, stacks of pancake-shaped structures called melanosomes function as multilayer mirrors, with highly precise spacing that results in bright flashes of color that can only be seen at specific angles.

Check out this link to a free download pdf poster from Cornell on hummingbirds!