Hummingbirds and people enjoy warm fall weather in Las Vegas NV – and get close up and personal

                Hummingbirds continue to keep me amazed. They are so incredibly brazen!

                I was sitting out on my back patio enjoying the continued warm weather of late fall. The high for the day was 82 degrees, 12 degree above normal and such lovely temperatures to spend the time outside reading. As I sat there in the outer corner of the patio I heard the hum of wings over my head. It is not unusual for hummingbirds to fly over me as they chase each other away from feeders, so I am not surprise when I hear them fly near me.

                The thing that was different this time was that I didn’t see the hummer zip by. Oh well, maybe I just didn’t notice since I was reading. I continued to read. Then I heard the Costa’s hummingbird whistling very close to me. Hmm, he didn’t sound to be in the bush or tree, but whatever. I continued to read.

                Again I heard his wings right over head. Finally I realized that he wasn’t flying past me, he was actually right over my head. I carefully looked up; making no sudden move that might startle him. There he was – sitting on the wind chime directly over my head!

What's going on down there?

                Oh, for my camera. I kept hoping he’d fly off to give me a chance to go grab my camera, but, no, he just sat there comfortably looking around him for any interlopers that might happen by. I watched and waited. He stayed right there. I groaned to myself. Such a wonderful opportunity lost for the lack of my camera!

                Suddenly it dawned on me. I was reading an eBook on my iPad. Well, duh, iPad equals camera! I was holding a camera in my hand and I didn’t even think about it.

                Very carefully I folded the cover of my iPad back, closed the book, opened the camera and lifted the iPad into place. When he detected that motion, the hummer looked down to check it out. I held my breath, hoping he wouldn’t take fright. No, once he looked he decided I was no threat so went back to gazing out at the horizon, watching for other hummers who might come into his territory.

Nothing to worry about, let's see if there are other hummers around.

                I kept snapping pictures, even though the camera knew I was taking pictures of the patio cover. I realized my hummer would be out of focus, yet at that point I felt it was more important to record the moment than to worry about technicalities.

                Eventually my hummer flew away, but I had my pictures. Now I can only wonder what the hummingbirds’ next antics will be to keep me amazed.