Ruby Throated Hummingbird - 5/52

Another Ruby Throated Hummingbird - the finches and chickadees weren't cooperating!

Hummingbirds - 4/52

When we first moved into the new house we noticed a little hummingbird occasionally coming by to sample the flowers in the front flower bed.  Jason promptly made his tasty vanilla flavored hummingbird food and now we're up to six hummingbirds all fighting for the feeder, all day, every day.  Earlier this week I was out on the front porch and decided to see if I could get some decent photos of them.  Being hand held they didn't turn out too bad, though next time I want to tripod the camera and use off camera flash, rather than the speedlight in the hotshoe.

These photos were taken with a Nikon D80; 18 - 200mm VR Nikon lens; SB600 speedlight on the camera hotshoe.

Scavenger - 3/52

I noticed this turkey vulture sitting on the fence the other day while I was eating my lunch.  He, apparently, was looking for lunch, too.  We have a fly trap in one of the trees near where he was sitting that stinks to high heaven of rotting flesh ( to attract the flies ) and we're betting he smelled that thinking he hit the jackpot on a yummy meal.

Behbeh Duckies! - 2/52

Friday we brought home four of the cutest baby ducklings!  We have set up a temporary enclosed area in the pond where they can be on land, in the dog igloo that is their shelter, or in the water, until they learn where their new feeding spot and shelter is.  We should be able to let them out of the pen in a few more days.  They are so cute and fuzzy and soft!  They have tiny little wings that they flap around as much as they can.  They are Muscovy ducks, but we don't yet know what the female to male ratio is.

More photos:

52 Weeks of Animals

Over the weekend I decided to start up a new photography project.  Project 365 is a little much for me, so I decided to do a themed Project 52 focusing on only animals, since they are my favorite subject anyway.  Two years ago I did a general Project 52 with no theme and successfully finished it, so hopefully I'll be successful with this one as well.

I'm kicking off the project with a photo of Big Worm I snagged the other day while he was cat napping on the porch.