Good Grooming
by Rory Siegel
Title
Good Grooming
Artist
Rory Siegel
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
Yesterday morning I went out on the porch to take out some recycling....and it was about two hours before I made it back into the house. The reason was the most magical encounter yet with these fearless little creatures...who seem to know they have nothing to fear from me (or my dog) and zoom past within a couple of inches of my body with increasing frequency. Lately they have also taken to hovering very close to me..or kindly posing for me to photograph them within a few feet... on the tomato cages. These are Rufous hummers and there are quite a few of them visiting on a daily basis. They even seem to follow me when I walk up the road...at least a good quarter of a mile, occasionally darting out from the shrubs and trees, to flutter close by as I delight in the early morning sunlight. Yesterday I grabbed my camera and enjoyed the show as they danced at the feeder, in the trees, and around my Gerbera daisies. We all had such a lovely morning! A couple of these little ones seemed very intent on cleaning themselves...or in one case scratching an itch! I believe a couple are immature because of their coloration and that their feathers look fluffier to me than the others...the "grown-ups." Below is a bit of info on these magical and delightful birds.
"The feistiest hummingbird in North America. The brilliant orange male and the green-and-orange female Rufous Hummingbird are relentless attackers at flowers and feeders, going after (if not always defeating) even the large hummingbirds of the Southwest, which can be double their weight. Rufous Hummingbirds are wide-ranging, and breed farther north than any other hummingbird. Look for them in spring in California, summer in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, and fall in the Rocky Mountains as they make their annual circuit of the West."
TOP FINISHER in the BIRDS in All Mediums Contest, January 2014.
Uploaded
July 30th, 2013
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Comments (31)
Jim Fitzpatrick
Awesome capture and great timing! fv
Rory Siegel replied:
Thank you so much Jim for the very kind comment. Hope you have a very Merry Christmas!!
AnnaJo Vahle
Fabulous capture, Rory. I enjoyed your narrative, too. Lovely. FL
Rory Siegel replied:
Thank you so much AnnaJo! I missed your lovely comment apparently...was in the middle of hospice care for my mom. Thanks again!
Jolanta Anna Karolska
Back to this birdy again Rory...thinking of you xx f/v
Rory Siegel replied:
Not sure how I missed this Jolanta, but a very belated "thank you" to you dear one! This was right in the middle of mom's hospice period...no wonder I did not see it!
Rory Sagner
My grateful thanks to all of you for your really heartwarming comments. I wish I had time to reply individually to each of you, but am in over my head at the moment with hospice care for a loved one. My time here on FAA is severely limited at the moment, but please know that I am grateful for each and every one of you taking the time to comment so graciously here.
Robyn King
Such an amazing capture Rory you can see the trust in the hummingbirds eyes I love this so much my friend:)) sharing
Emmy Vickers
Love it! What a precious capture. Love your story. isn't something how nature can truly grab our attention. So many people miss out as they are so unaware. This is stunning!! Love the colors and the detail. Wow! L/V.
Giada Rossi
Adorable capture and what a tender story behind this image! Love it! l,f and prom on g+ and twitter
Nancy Kane Chapman
A wonderful photograph and a great story of your new walking partners! How lucky you are to have such companions!
Rory Siegel replied:
Thank you so much Nancy for your lovely comment. I am very blessed in many ways...and that communion with the natural world is foremost among them.
Mother Nature
F/L This is an amazing picture! I love it for many reasons but a few that stand out are the unusual pose of this tiny beauty, the perfection of the details, the colors, and a whole lot because of your description:>) I can licw those moments with you and enjoy your little friends:>)
Rory Siegel replied:
Thank you for the really lovely comment Mother Nature. To be able to share the magic makes me very happy!
Lianne Schneider
Oh my gosh Rory this is just unbelievable. How in heaven's name did you get a shot like this???? Wowwwwwwwwww. F/L T G
Rory Siegel replied:
Thank you Lianne! I think they know I adore them...so it seems from their behavior. It fascinates and thrills me that they have stayed here this year all through the winter so far, visiting with me every day!!! I have never, ever, in all my years here, seen that. Usually they leave late fall and come back in the Spring. I was really worried about them being too cold, but so far they are doing just fine!
Rory Sagner
Many thanks to Ella Char for featuring "Good Grooming" in the Nature Wildlife Sunsets and Sunrises Group! It's a sweet honor!
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