This forum is for posting your best bird photos and videos. Although the site is focused on BC Birding, topics here and photo postings can include birds from around the globe. As well, provide a link to your photo galleries.
By revs
#87427
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A buddy at work told me yesterday that he had a hummingbird on nest in his front yard in North Van, had to check it out, took a few minutes to spot it in the tree but spot it i did.
Hope to check back a bit later when the young one's are popping their heads out of the nest and being fed.

So, this forum is pretty much dead isn't it?
How can we compete with Facebook groups like British Columbia Birds (over 2000 members) and other groups on there, let alone Instagram (which i recently started posting to and am having a lot of fun doing so) when it seems like there are maybe 6 posters who contribute here (and then you have those who breeze through, with just enough time to post their shot before they are gone without a glance at others posts).
Oh well, i don't even blame the birders who left in a flock, most of them were just following one person around anyways.
That's life.
#87428
First off, your Anna’s pics are, as always, amazing. I have yet to find a hummingbird nest let alone capture one actually sitting in it.
revs wrote: So, this forum is pretty much dead isn't it?
I hate to say it, but it does look like the forum is on life support. I find that really sad. It used to be quite lively (to say the least sometimes) but it was always a good source for bird sightings and information. And let’s not forget about all of the talented photographers who had a platform to showcase their work. I, as a relatively new photographer, sure learned a lot from this forum. You tried resuscitation with the “Bird of the Month” and I give you credit for that. Adam (Owlet) got in there with a topic that should have generated a lot of discussion, that being Conservation. Judging by the number of views it, as well as other topics, got proves that people are out there lurking and I have to believe that they are still interested in the forum. I don’t know what it will take to get them to start participating again.
I, for one, will still be around. I sincerely hope that others will stick around too.
Last edited by jewill on Mar 13 5:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
By zwest
#87430
Stunning photos!

I think there may be a nest in my backyard as well -- one of these days I need to really inspect the trees carefully with binoculars.

I guess Facebook is just that much easier for people to use when it comes to posting photos, and people like to rack up "likes" etc. I'm not actually on the birds group, and I probably should be... but is it just a bunch of owl fights? If so, I think I'll pass. :mrgreen:

I think forums like this are considered "old school" now unfortunately, but I still prefer this format to the new social media stuff.
#87431
Great shots Paul, I hope you get to see the youngsters when they hatch. I know what you are saying about the site, I have always enjoyed seeing the images posted and have posted a lot of shots of my own in the past. I have been very busy but will try to post more photos in the future but I understand why a lot of the photographers have left. There seems to be a real lack of interest when some of the excellent images get one or two and sometimes no comments at all. Most photographers are not looking for praise but want to know their efforts are appreciated. Let's hope things improve because this has always been a great forum to visit.
#87435
I like your attitude Robert, yes, let's get in here and do our part. Of course your pictures are beautiful as well. I never seem to be able to get them when they are displaying their brilliant gorget.
Like I said, hummingbirds are not my forte but here goes anyway:

My condo backs on to a green space and I do have regular visitors at the feeder I put up. It's photographing them that's the tricky part. I think this is one of the regulars. Her nest must be in the back somewhere, but it's fairly thick back there and I'm a little nervous about navigating around.
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Anna's Hummingbird (Female) by Jewill, on Flickr

I recently added a Hummingbird Swing thinking that at the very least it was a cute decoration. One morning I saw this (and a Rufous to boot - normally I only see Anna's). Taken through the window otherwise he would have taken off.
Image
Rufous Hummingbird (Male) by Jewill, on Flickr
#87437
Keithmac wrote:There seems to be a real lack of interest when some of the excellent images get one or two and sometimes no comments at all. Most photographers are not looking for praise but want to know their efforts are appreciated. Let's hope things improve because this has always been a great forum to visit.
I completely agree Keith. One the things that I really like about this site is that there are photographs that look like they belong in National Geographic taken with equipment costing thousands of $ all the way to those taken with a simple point-and-shoot and everything in between. The point is that the photographers were proud of their work and wanted to share it with other birders. And like zwest said, Facebook is easier but I too prefer this format because there doesn’t seem to be as many trolls.
I am going to make a point of commenting more from here on.
#87442
jewill wrote:I like your attitude Robert
My sincere apologies. It was Frank, not Robert, who posted the lovely pictures of the Anna’s that I was referencing in this post.
So sorry :oops:
User avatar
By Owlet
#87444
I would of posted on this topic earlier but I was really really busy with schoolwork!

Yes, yes I know the forum is kind of not the most lively, active place out there but I feel that we should at least keep it alive to invite new birders to the birding community.

Surprisingly enough I have never really done a big "anna's hummingbird photography shoot" but may get to it this spring with the Rufouses at Richmond Nature park.

So I decided to post not just Anna's, but some of my favs of all hummers :D

Here are a few:

ImageAnna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna) by Adam Dhalla, on Flickr

ImageRufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) by Adam Dhalla, on Flickr

ImageAnna's Hummingbird (Calpyte Anna) by Adam Dhalla, on Flickr

Remember that time when that weird Black Chinned/Annas Hybrid came to Richmond?!

ImageBlack-Chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) by Adam Dhalla, on Flickr

And two from Costa Rica :D

ImageGreen-Crowned Brilliant (Heliodoxa jacula) by Adam Dhalla, on Flickr

ImageLesser Violetear (Colibri cyanotus) by Adam Dhalla, on Flickr

and also, I was thinking of getting one of those!
jewill wrote:I recently added a Hummingbird Swing thinking that at the very least it was a cute decoration.

Thanks for dealing with my photo posts, and finally, thank you for contributing to the forum!
By jewill
#87446
Adam, those pictures are fantastic! I won’t be making it to Costa Rica but you have inspired me to go out to the Richmond Nature Park sometime soon. I know they always have Hummers at their feeders.
Thanks for posting your gorgeous shots.
By revs
#87452
Great shots everyone, good to see that people still care about this place too. :)

Frank, i just looked at my pics and it looks like some of the earliest shots (at Burnaby lake anyways) were from March 27th, should be back soon! :)
By Frank
#87453
revs wrote:Great shots everyone, good to see that people still care about this place too. :)

Frank, i just looked at my pics and it looks like some of the earliest shots (at Burnaby lake anyways) were from March 27th, should be back soon! :)

Great, thanks Paul!
By MDB8
#87463
I may "breeze" through, but I often read the posts. I seldom every commented on the works of others. I only wish to comment of technical aspects of photography. Artistic qualities are embedded in individual preferences - which should be unique, social media be damned.

I have never joined Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. I may be forced to, but I don't wish to join these social networks. I prefer to do my own thinking, make my own decisions. Groupthink is, in the main, LCD - Lowest Common Denominator - in nature. I only joined Flicker because I was having trouble IDing birds when I first started this hobby and discovered that this website did not allow the attaching of photos, but required HTML links.

I think it is a little simplistic to link the decline of this forum to the activities of BG. When she first appeared in this forum, I welcomed her as she generated much action. However, shortly I decided that she was too intrusive, inserting herself into every topic. And I also discovered that she was overly sensitive, misinterpreting comments that might be deemed critical.

I left the forum a couple of years ago because I decided it had been turned into a personal blog of BG and was no longer a real forum. I don't follow blogs, or social media.

Someone told me that BG was no longer posting to the forum and that I should take a new look at it. She is overly sensitive. I note that no link to this forum is shown on the Rare Bird Alert site operated by BG.

My recent posts have tended to be more educational than artistic in nature. It seemed to me that many members were just novices and that such information may be helpful.

I'm sure I am in a small minority with my personal utilities. I am "retired". When I was working I often had to deal with people I thought were dumb. After retirement, I no longer have this requirement forced upon me. So I avoid interacting with people whose values I distain. I avoid from social media. Not unfriendly, but reserved.

Anyway, many nice photos of Hummers. I did see a very early Rufous in mid-February at Pt. Roberts. I have a few images of Anna's on my memory card. I don't seek out nests, but have occasionally encountered them. BTW, check out recent articles on Anna's in magazines like NatGeo. Very smart bird. Whereas aggressive Rufous Hummers will often dive bomb and give their chicken-like call to human invaders of their territories, Anna's will often sneak up and sit near visitors, but out of their direct view - only moving when they realize that they have been spotted. They will often hover at waist height to watch us. (Last summer, though, I encountered a very inquisitive female Rufous which almost landed on my camera lens and hovered several times an inch or so from my glasses. Maybe she saw a reflection.)

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