Ruby & the Ant

Featured in Top Shelf Wildlife & Nature Art August 1, 2009.

I have spent countless hours the past 3 summers trying to capture photographs of the ruby-throated hummingbirds that visit my property each year.

This particular image is one of my favorites. I loved the way this female (whom I call Ruby) was perched on this branch, with both wings spread, looking down at the ant approaching her little foot.
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Camera & Location Details
Canon EOS Rebel XTi with 100-400mm (at 310mm) f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens. SS 1/800, AP Mode, f/8.0 ISO 200. Photo taken on my property in Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada
Flat Black Frame & Bright White Matting

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird info. courtesy of Wikipedia
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris), is a small hummingbird. It is the only species of hummingbird that regularly nests east of the Mississippi River in North America.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds are solitary. Adults of this species typically only come into contact for the purpose of mating, and both males and females of any age aggressively defend feeding locations within their territory. The aggressiveness becomes most pronounced in late summer to early fall as they fatten up for migration. This is important because, as part of their migration, they fly non-stop across the Gulf of Mexico, a distance of at least 500 miles.

They feed frequently while active during the day and when temperatures drop, particularly on cold nights, they may conserve energy by entering hypothermic torpor.

Due to their small size, they are vulnerable to insect-eating birds and animals.

Hummingbirds have many skeletal and flight muscle adaptations which allow the bird great agility in flight. Muscles make up 25-30% of their body weight, and they have long, blade-like wings that, unlike the wings of other birds, connect to the body only from the shoulder joint. This adaptation allows the wing to rotate almost 180°, enabling the bird to fly not only forward but also straight up and down, sideways, and backwards, and to hover in front of flowers as it feeds on nectar and insects.

During hovering, ruby-throated hummingbird wings beat 55x/s, 61x/s when moving backwards, and at least 75x/s when moving forward.
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