Scores of hummingbirds in a fen meadow

 

A stunning western Ohio fen, as seen early this morning. I came here seeking to photograph a small suite of interesting species, but my ambitions got hijacked by scores of charismatic Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.

PHOTO NOTES: I took this image and the next with my iPhone 16. This in spite of having my backpack loaded with my Canon 16-35mm f/4 wide-angle lens. Call me lazy, but I was also carrying a Gitzo tripod/Wemberley head combo on this two-mile trek, mounted to the Canon R5 and 800mm f/5.6 lens and that collective unit is a tank. Sometimes it's just easier to pull the phone out, and it performs pretty well in challenging light (I'm facing the sun).

A closer view of an especially floriferous patch of fen meadow. The entire opening is only about 1.8 acres, but the botanical diversity is incredible. There are many rare species, for Ohio, including much of the goldenrod in this image, which is Ohio Goldenrod (Solidago ohioensis). There's also plenty of Obedient-plant (Physostegia virginiana) in the picture.

Earlier in the week, I had found what I think is a Badger den in this general area, so I was keeping my eye on that area. The beautiful Grass-of-parnassus (Parnassia glauca) was also nearing peak bloom, and I had just discovered there is an oligolectic (specialist) bee that uses that: the Parnassia Bee (Andrena parnassiae). So, those two items were high on my list for today's mission.

However, as soon as I entered the fen proper via its encircling boardwalk, it quickly became apparent that the place was awash in Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris). I had certainly noticed them on my previous visit, several days earlier, but had stayed on point and focused on botanical imagery. Besides, I did not have a large lens with me, so it was easier to ignore the sprites. This time, I was armed for bear, so to speak, with the aforementioned monster lens. I also had the Canon 600 speedlite and Better Beamer flash extender, as paying great attention to the hummingbirds was high on my list today.

The female above is guarding her flower patch, which was mostly Spotted Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis). If an interloper entered her turf, the chase was on. I estimated that about two dozen hummingbirds were present, and skirmishes were frequent. In fact, one of the "problems" with trying to shoot these birds in such a hummingbird-rich environment is the likelihood of your subject suddenly getting run off by another bird. That happened to me multiple times today.

There are lush stands of Obedient-plant in this meadow, and that's the plant that I really wanted to photograph a hummingbird visiting. The hummers really go for the stuff, and I saw several birds visiting flowers, but never when I was in a position to make a shot. I even staked out plants that were beautifully situated for photos, for quite a while, but of course no birds visited during those times.

A female Ruby-throated Hummingbird prepares to tap nectar from a truly elegant native thistle, Swamp Thistle (Cirsium muticum). Overall, this is not a common Ohio plant, as it is not only an obligate of wetlands (we have managed to destroy over 90% of those in the Buckeye State), but it favors high-quality wetlands such as this fen. The large purple flower heads are held five or six feet in the air, and act as beacons to the nectar-hungry hummers.

As an aside, native thistles are extraordinarily attractive visually, and to pollinators. Because of their often-thorny armature, thistles apparently have been largely shunned by the nursery trade. That, and unwarranted guilt by association with nasty nonnatives such as Canada and Bull thistles. Swamp Thistle would be the one to peddle. It is very light on prickles, and in my view, the showiest of our five native species.

Unlike the preceding plants, this one is abundant and widespread: Spotted Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis). It occurs statewide, in every county, and is a fixture along waterways and wet areas. Jewelweed loves springy places, and the verges of the fen meadow have robust colonies. It was this plant that the hummingbirds most coveted, and every patch was diligently guarded.

PHOTO NOTE: I made this image with my 800mm lens. I'm a big fan of using telephotos for plants, and the bigger the lens, the better. Look how it just crushed the bokeh into a beautiful creamy brown blur. I shot this photo wide open, at f/5.6. How I wish a hummingbird would have visited when I was set up like this, but alas, none did even though I stayed there for some time.

A young male (judging by that red gorget feather) guards his patch of jewelweed. This section of the boardwalk had numerous jewelweed patches, and all of them were under guard by different hummingbirds. Kind of like gang members protecting their turf.

Another young male (I think) approaches some jewelweed flowers. Sometimes I could see four or five birds hitting jewelweed from one spot.

This plant is sold by some native plant nurseries, and if you get it going in the yard, I guarantee that any hummingbird in the neighborhood will be over for a visit. It is an annual, but self-seeds prolifically (the seeds taste like walnuts) and as long as it doesn't get crowded out, it should perpetuate itself. There is another native Impatiens, the Pale Jewelweed (I. pallida) with light yellow flowers. Hummingbirds also visit that, but it doesn't seem to be quite the hit that Spotted Jewelweed is.