20110911-Sunset from Whale Watch Boat

20110911-Sunset from Whale Watch Boat
Originally uploaded by ChathamGardens

Not all Sunsets are created equal. Was on a great Whale Watch this past Sunday which included lots of humpback whales (pictures to follow), the rising of the Harvest Moon and a lovely Sunset..

Throughout the day the air was sweet, the seas were calm and the sun stayed bright and warming for the entire trip. And when it was time to say good night, well, even that was done with style and grace. Good Night Sun!

Click on the picture to go to my Flickr site with more sunset and moonrise pictures.

20110908-Hummingbird in the Rain

20110908-Hummingbird in the Rain
Originally uploaded by ChathamGardens

This has been a great year for hummingbirds at Chatham Gardens. I would guess I have been treated to this tiny birds presence just about every day this summer in spite of my not having a nectar feeder available for them. The flowers of Chatham Gardens have continually provided sweet treats for my tiny visitors from the first lilac and peony blooms, followed by the roses and butterfly bushes. Currently the main attraction are the dahlias, especially a brilliant and hummingbird eye catching red.

Photographing hummingbirds is a challenge I continually am attempting with varying degrees of success. On brilliantly sunny days there is enough wonderful light to use a very fast shutter speed which more easily captures the tiny bird and its rapidly fluttering wings. On overcast days such as today the results often fall short though sometimes an even less then perfect photograph can tell a story.

In today's on and off again rain I was able to capture some photographs of a sadly wet hummingbird seeking some cover in a shrub that provided almost perfect camouflage.

To the resident hummingbird - I know you'll be heading someplace warmer in the near future but I hope you will return to enjoy the shelter of Chatham Gardens in inclement weather and the nectar of our flowers in the sunshine. In the meantime I will have your picture to enjoy during the long winter here on Cape Cod and remind me what I have to look forward to next spring....