Hummingbirds, in various varieties, can be found throughout the greater Phoenix, Arizona area, and they are truly wondrous to watch and photograph. Whether you have a hummingbird feeder on your patio or flowering plants in your landscaping, you’re likely to attract hummingbirds.

They are a very territorial bird that will chase away any intruders into their established space. Speed, agility and their ability to hover are their hallmark characteristics. While it is fairly easy to spot and watch hummingbirds, it is a far more difficult undertaking to photograph them.

Photographers need patience, a lot of luck and persistence to capture these tiny treasures. Be prepared to delete a lot of photographs that failed to pass your “keeper” test. But also be prepared to look in awe when you successfully capture that one in a hundred.

Here are a few of my “keepers” that I’ve added to my hummingbird photo collection over the last several months. Click on any of the photographs to open a larger version. For more information on the hummingbird varieties that are found in Arizona, visit: https://www.beautyofbirds.com/hummingbirdsarizona.html. After reading up on them, can you identify the species in my photographs? Let me know by leaving a comment.