Canada #17 Grouse Mountain
Part Four
We waited for a very long time before seeing hummingbirds on Grouse Mountain.
At an elevation of 1,100 metres, the hummingbird monitoring station on the mountain is the highest in British Columbia. In a program designed to gather scientific data on hummingbird populations in western North America, the birds are banded, released and observed in their natural habitat.
We gained a new appreciation for the work done by members of the Hummingbird Monitoring Network after standing near the hummingbird feeders for what seemed like hours.
Eventually our patience was rewarded when two birds arrived. They darted to and fro, constantly flying to the feeder and then taking refuge in the surrounding trees before returning to the feeder again.
Even with our cameras on fast motion settings, it was difficult to get clear images of these tiny birds. With careful timing and plenty of good luck, we managed to capture a few nice photographs.
It was worth the wait to see hummingbirds on Grouse Mountain.
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Super tiny birds! Have never seen one but I am sure they were worth waiting for. Amazing to think their heart beat is over 1000 per minute! ♥ X1000!
It was worth the wait to see them. They are so tiny, I can’t imagine their little hearts going that fast.
Well worth the wait, it seems. They are fascinating little creatures. I have yet to see one in real life.
They are so tiny and move so fast. It’s incredible to watch them darting around.
wow! Extraordinary photographs. Certainly worth waiting for
Yes, we were just about to give up and move on when the birds decided to show up. It was exciting to see them but I felt like I needed a remote control to slow them down. 🙂 Blink and you miss them!
Amazing birds, so glad you stayed 🙂
Great photos 🙂
Thanks. These birds don’t hang around posing for photos and I deleted many blurred ones. We were pleased to get these nice shots.
Oh yeah. I also have lots of photos of branches where once a bird had sat as well as the blurry ones 🙂
My best ever bird photo was one I took of a grevillea bush in flower. I didn’t even realise a honeyeater was feasting on a flower until I looked at the photo later on my computer. What a happy surprise that was!
Surprise finds are great. I often do that with insects that photobomb the flower I am trying to capture 😀
Definitely need patience, a fast lens and a tripod to capture these birds. You managed to get some lovely photos.
We didn’t have tripods but Mr ET has very steady hands and my new camera has a 4K burst function. It takes 30 photos every second and makes a mini video from which individual photos can be extracted. That’s how I got the last one with the blue sky. Mr ET took the others.
That is some camera!
It is a Panasonic Lumix TZ 110. It’s compact and lightweight but packed with features. It also has a post focus, which is great for flower photos. I love it.
The OH has Panasonic cameras – his is a few years old now though, I think it is the TZ30 which has a 20 optical zoom. Might be time to buy him an upgraded model 🙂
Mr ET has a much larger Panasonic Lumix. I like mine to be small and light. Happy shopping!
What a wonderful opportunity you had. I love hummingbirds and just reading your post made me smile. You grabbed some good clear shots. I try to attract them every summer but have never found the perfect place for the feeder. But, I keep trying. 🙂
It would be lovely to have them in your garden. I hope you are successful one day.
Aww they are so delightful! How long did you have to wait to see them Carol?
We waited about half an hour, although it felt like much longer. We just about to give up and move on when the birds arrived.
Beautiful pictures! I’ve only seen hummingbirds once, also in Canada but at the other side in Nova Scotia.
Mr ET also saw one at Butchart Gardens but I was taking photos and missed it. He got a beautiful photo of that one, quite close. I was happy to see these two after missing the first one.
It’s interesting to know that hummingbirds are monitored – I hadn’t thought about that happening. Your patience was definitely rewarded with some excellent shots.
Apparently not much is known about their habits so the monitoring is a way of learning more so they can be protected.
That’s good to know. Perhaps they are also monitoring the agressive ones to see what people who put feeders out in their gardens can do about the bird that patrols it and sees off any visitors!
Maybe you could look that up. That bird must be greedy.
Love your hummngbirds. We have them in our Colorado Rocky Mountains. Love to watch them flitting so quickly. Your photos are terrific. And hard to take. It is winter here now and our hummingbirds have all gone south. Always happy to see them in the spring.
They move so fast. I took lots of very blurry photos.
And some very good photos.
I’ve never seen a real live hummingbird, but I do have a book about them 🙂
We hadn’t either, so it was exciting to see them on the mountain. Mr ET also saw one at Butchart Gardens but I was busy taking photos of flowers and missed it.
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Glad to know that Grouse Mountain is monitoring the hummers. Down below at Stanley Park, they do this as well. I have these birds all year round in my backyard. Love shots.
How lovely to see these birds in your own backyard all the time. What a treat to be able to sit and watch them.
Hummingbirds are such incredible birds. Lovely to see these wee flutterers through your photos. Well worth the wait indeed!
For such tiny creatures, they sure do move fast. We loved watching them.
They must be amazing to watch! 🙂 🙂 All the very best to you and yours, Carol!
They were lovely Jo, but it was a case of blink and you missed them. They were so fast.
Beautiful photos!
I always find wildlife difficult to photograph – it certainly is a skill.
And it takes a fair amount of good luck too. For me anyway 🙂
Good point!