Broad-tailed Hummingbird Bliss in The Wasatch Mountains

Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird at a blooming Black Twinberry Honeysuckle – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

I spent yesterday morning enjoying a Broad-tailed Hummingbird bliss in the Wasatch Mountains by finding their favorite perches and photographing them feeding, resting, and defending their territories.

I found what appear to be several favorite perches for the territorial male hummingbirds I saw and because I did I was also able to see where some of them flew to when they felt the need to feed on nectar. One of the little male Broad-tailed Hummingbirds perched out over the water and would fly down to get nectar from blooming Black Twinberry Honeysuckles (Lonicera involucrata) that weren’t far away.

Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird feeding from Black Twinberry Honeysuckle blooms – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/800, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

The Broad-tailed Hummingbird was close enough that I was able to see him swoop into the honeysuckles, lock focus and photograph him as he got nectar from these native wildflowers. I have a nice long series of photos of him hovering in front of these plants.

Broad-tailed Hummingbird male checking out Golden Currant blooms – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Later in the morning I had my Jeep parked where I knew another Broad-tailed Hummingbird male has a favorite perch and I was able to photograph him as he checked out the blooming Golden Currants (Ribes aureum) that are nearby.

I like that these photos show the hummingbird small in the frame because with my settings for depth of field I was able to get the bird and most of the currant sharply in focus, had he and the currant bush been closer I wouldn’t have been able to do that easily.

Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird getting nectar from a Golden Currant bloom – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

The background behind the hummingbird and the currant bush is actually a gravel road, I was on a hill shooting down towards the hummingbird and the Golden Currant. Normally I don’t like having roads in my bird photos but because there are no details in the road surface I find that I don’t mind it for a background at all in this series of photos.

Golden Currants are also called Buffalo Currants and Clove Currants.

Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird looking up at the sky – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/800, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

This is the same male Broad-tailed Hummingbird that I photographed at the Golden Currant bush on his favorite nearby perch. I’m not sure what he was looking up at but I liked the pose and the simplicity of the photo along with the little bit of iridescence that showed in his gorget.

Broad-tailed Hummingbird male shaking his feathers – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

I also wanted to share this photo of the male Broad-tailed Hummingbird shaking his feathers not long after he landed on “his” perch.

I have many more photos of the Broad-tailed Hummingbirds I photographed yesterday and I hope to share more of them in the future but these six are enough for now.

I loved getting these Broad-tailed Hummingbird photos yesterday and savored my time with them.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Broad-tailed Hummingbird photos plus facts and information about this species. Click here to see more of my flower, shrub and tree photos.