Right foot chin scratch

I hope you are not bored with my iridescent jewels. I'm thrilled that I can finally get close to one very willing to pose. I'm not sure if it's a juvenile male or female, but it's gorgeous and a very cooperative model. There is an adult male around with a red gorget, but he is quite shy and I can't get a great photograph. They are feeding heavily, unhappily sharing the feeders with bees, wasps, ants and bumblebees. 

"A little privacy, please!"

Ready for my close up...


Adult Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Archilochus colubris, are sexually dimorphic; i.e., the adult male and adult female are different in external appearance. However, young males "masquerade" as females until their first winter, at which time they attain adult male plumage. This can make ageing and sexing difficult during summer and fall after young of the year have fledged. From May through October, do not assume all white-throated hummers at your feeders are females; some undoubtedly will be young males.


Adult male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have pointed rectrices (tail feathers) that are all dark with no white tips; the tail is forked. However, young males --like females of any age--have white tips on the outer three rectrices on each side; each feather is rounded and the tail is fan-shaped. This similarity between females and young males complicates trying to determine the sex of free-flying hummingbirds at feeders in early summer after young begin to fledge. In spring, however, any bird with white tail tips is an adult female.


More Hummingbird info


For the Record,
This day came in with gentle showers followed by sun, cooler temps and DRY air.

All hands proud of the Washington Post using the word LIE when writing about Orange is the New Nixon. Not misleading, not merely false, A lie.