{"id":87424,"date":"2021-05-11T05:43:48","date_gmt":"2021-05-11T11:43:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=87424"},"modified":"2025-06-13T13:12:49","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T18:12:49","slug":"its-time-for-hummingbird-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/05\/11\/its-time-for-hummingbird-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"It’s Time For Hummingbird Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AdultAdult male Broad-tailed Hummingbird stretching his wings \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The past couple of times I have headed out to two mountain ranges to the east and west of where I live I have heard the distinctive sounds of hummingbird wings as they zipped past me. The wildflowers and flowering shrubs are beginning to bloom in the mountains and canyons and for me that means it’s time for hummingbird photography.<\/p>\n

Knowing which wildflowers and flowering shrubs these tiny flying jewels use as a nectar source throughout their breeding season is a huge help in locating them. Finding those nectar sources where I can pull over safely to sit and wait for the hummingbirds is an added bonus.<\/p>\n

It takes patience to photograph these diminutive birds and I don’t think that I can say that often enough. There are times that I wait 15 to 20 minutes or longer in between their feeding forays to certain shrubs and clumps of wildflowers. There is no certain way to know when the hummingbirds will show up to feed so I am always paying attention.<\/p>\n

During early spring in the higher elevations I know that wild currant shrubs<\/span><\/a> are a great source of natural nectar for hummingbirds and I have seen some that are already in bloom.<\/p>\n

Over the years I have learned that some male hummingbirds have favorite perches they sit on to watch over their territories and when I can find a favorite perch that is out in the open. Where it is safe to pull over in a “mobile blind” I will take advantage of knowing that particular hummingbird’s preferences and behaviors. It is a great way to get landing and take off images as well as photos of the hummingbirds at rest, preening, stretching and sometimes even sleeping.<\/p>\n

Hummingbird photography isn’t just about finding the birds, it is about knowing them too.<\/p>\n

I get excited about photographing the hummingbirds that breed, nest and rear their young in northern Utah. I am<\/em> thrilled that they have returned.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Broad-tailed Hummingbird photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The wildflowers and flowering shrubs are beginning to bloom in the mountains and canyons and for me that means it’s time for hummingbird photography.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":148409,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,2340,4594,26,773],"tags":[4004,4897,2651,3940,6561,6043,2652,4062,4069,4104,2341,3964,5498],"class_list":["post-87424","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-broad-tailed-hummingbirds","category-morgan-county","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-adult","tag-branch","tag-broad-tailed-hummingbird","tag-canyon","tag-favorite-perch","tag-hummingbird","tag-hummingbirds-2","tag-male","tag-mountains","tag-perched","tag-selasphorus-platycercus","tag-stretching","tag-wings"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-wing-stretch-mia-mcpherson-9488.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-mK4","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":100979,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/03\/23\/male-broad-tailed-hummingbird-and-thoughts-about-spring\/","url_meta":{"origin":87424,"position":0},"title":"Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird And Thoughts About Spring","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 23, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Hummingbirds delight me and this male Broad-tailed Hummingbird did just that when he landed on his favorite chokecherry branch a few years ago in the mountains.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Broad-tailed Hummingbird male landing on a chokecherry, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-chokecherry-mia-mcpherson-6965.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-chokecherry-mia-mcpherson-6965.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-chokecherry-mia-mcpherson-6965.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-chokecherry-mia-mcpherson-6965.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":111594,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/03\/25\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-daydreams\/","url_meta":{"origin":87424,"position":1},"title":"Broad-tailed Hummingbird Daydreams","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 25, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I've been having Broad-tailed Hummingbird daydreams lately. I can't wait to hear their tiny wing beats and chirps once again high in the Wasatch Mountains.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Broad-tailed Hummingbird male in a chokecherry tree, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-adult-male-chokecherry-mia-mcpherson-6760.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-adult-male-chokecherry-mia-mcpherson-6760.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-adult-male-chokecherry-mia-mcpherson-6760.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-perched-mia-mcpherson-8711.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-perched-mia-mcpherson-8711.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-perched-mia-mcpherson-8711.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-perched-mia-mcpherson-8711.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":69122,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/04\/27\/wax-currants-broad-tailed-hummingbirds-and-their-favorite-perches\/","url_meta":{"origin":87424,"position":3},"title":"Wax Currants, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds And Their Favorite Perches","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 27, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"In just a matter of days Wax Currants will start to bloom in some of the lower elevations of the mountains that aren't far from where I live and that has me excited.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Broad-tailed Hummingbird male resting on a favorite perch, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-perched-mia-mcpherson-9192.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-perched-mia-mcpherson-9192.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Goldfinches","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/finches-and-allies\/american-goldfinches\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Peek-a-boo feeding male Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-feesing-mia-mcpherson-6926.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-feesing-mia-mcpherson-6926.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-feesing-mia-mcpherson-6926.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-feesing-mia-mcpherson-6926.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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