It's close to two months ago now that I spotted a Humming bird in the park. I saw another one in the very same tree some time later but today I saw one a bit closer in a different part of the park. This one was on the northwest side but still perched high up in a dead tree. I'm used to seeing them only at feeders hovering in flight so it's neat to see them just sitting there on a branch out in the wild.
You really get an idea of just how small they are. A lot of people jogging or biking by must have wondered what in the world was so interesting as I'm sure they didn't even notice it. Each time I've spotted one I thought it was just an old leaf still clinging to a branch. I'm not sure if the sun is making their colors hard to see or if maybe I'm only seeing females. I figured their bright red and green colors would be a bit more noticeable -but maybe I'm still to far away. These pics were still taken at maximum zoom. Only once did it buzz around for a bit before landing again.
One thing I did notice this time is that their eyes seem to be situated kind of weird compared to other birds -more near the top of their head I would say. Later on the east side I had my first decent opportunity for a photo of an American Goldfinch. Though a common bird I see often, they just don't sit still for very long. There were two males bouncing around inside some thick bushes -which actually allowed me to sneak in closer without scaring them away.
Again today, I saw another large Black Swallowtail Butterfly. Since getting a decent photo yesterday I watched only for a short time before moving on. When I did I spotted two Yellow Swallowtails together. These were both attracted to a muddy patch left by recent rains so I was able to walk right up behind this one for a quick pic.
It's close to two months ago now that I spotted a Humming bird in the park. I saw another one in the very same tree some time later but today I saw one a bit closer in a different part of the park. This one was on the northwest side but still perched high up in a dead tree. I'm used to seeing them only at feeders hovering in flight so it's neat to see them just sitting there on a branch out in the wild. 
You really get an idea of just how small they are. A lot of people jogging or biking by must have wondered what in the world was so interesting as I'm sure they didn't even notice it. Each time I've spotted one I thought it was just an old leaf still clinging to a branch. I'm not sure if the sun is making their colors hard to see or if maybe I'm only seeing females. I figured their bright red and green colors would be a bit more noticeable -but maybe I'm still to far away. These pics were still taken at maximum zoom. Only once did it buzz around for a bit before landing again. 
One thing I did notice this time is that their eyes seem to be situated kind of weird compared to other birds -more near the top of their head I would say. Later on the east side I had my first decent opportunity for a photo of an American Goldfinch. Though a common bird I see often, they just don't sit still for very long. There were two males bouncing around inside some thick bushes -which actually allowed me to sneak in closer without scaring them away. 
Again today, I saw another large Black Swallowtail Butterfly. Since getting a decent photo yesterday I watched only for a short time before moving on. When I did I spotted two Yellow Swallowtails together. These were both attracted to a muddy patch left by recent rains so I was able to walk right up behind this one for a quick pic.
