Hummingbird in the hover

This one held its hover just long enough — wings a blur, tail fanned for balance, the top of her head dusted gold with pollen from working the garden all afternoon. The plain throat and lack of a red gorget mark her as a female or immature bird.

Why it matters

Ruby-throated hummingbirds are the only breeding hummingbird species east of the Great Plains. They can beat their wings around 50 times per second, which is why a fast shutter is the only way to freeze the shape of a wingbeat rather than a smear.

Getting the shot

Shot at 1/4000s to stop the wings, with the 150-600mm pulled back enough to leave room for the flowers she was working. No feeder in the frame — just a garden doing its job.