The Ruby-throated Hummingbird: A Photo Essay

This book contains 88 full-page sized photographs that show the Ruby-throated Hummingbird in great detail, from numerous perspectives. They capture the many variations in its appearance, including its green and gold iridescent colors, its black beak, its white tongue and its black wing feathers. Other photos show the various iridescent colors (red, gold and black) of the male's throat feathers. In addition, some photos catch the humming bird in mid-flight, thereby "freezing" its wings. A number of photos show females and adolescent males who are partly distinguished by the white tips on six of their tail feathers (three on either side). The adolescent male can be further distinguished by the dark streaks and/or a small fleck of red feathers on his throat. Other photos show the female clutching clumps of spiderweb that she will use in constructing her nest. Many photos show the Ruby-throated Hummingbird roosting or feeding at a feeder, while others show the hummingbird feeding on flower nectar. Still, other photos capture the territorial nature of the humming bird, as they show dramatic slices of "feeder wars."

About the Author :
James B. Sumpter is originally from Charlotte, North Carolina. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Lafayette College and his Master of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech. He spent most of his professional career designing advanced electronic systems in the automotive industry. He is now retired and pursuing his lifelong interest in photography. Once he started photographing wildlife, he discovered how much of it surrounds his home or is close by. That discovery includes a broad variety of birds including the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, which he has been feeding and photographing, in the Indianapolis, Indiana area, since the spring of 2012. James B. Sumpter is originally from Charlotte, North Carolina. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Lafayette College and his Master of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech. He spent most of his professional career designing advanced electronic systems in the automotive industry. He is now retired and pursuing his lifelong interest in photography. Once he started photographing wildlife, he discovered how much of it surrounds his home or is close by. That discovery includes a broad variety of birds including the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, which he has been feeding and photographing, in the Indianapolis, Indiana area, since the spring of 2012.

Review :
It's a delight to hear the whir of an incoming hummingbird and catch a glimpse of the darting creature as it lands momentarily on the red and purple bee balm in the garden. But then it's gone in a flash. That's why James B. Sumpter's photo essay of the ruby-throated hummingbird is so intriguing. The photographer masterfully captures the magnificent birds with the click of his camera and magnifies their images so we can see every bright and brilliant detail, from the white tips on their tails to the jewel-toned feathers on their backs, heads, and necks, to the slender tongues as the birds sip nectar. This coffee-table volume is sure to be picked up often by readers of all ages. Looking at hummingbirds brightens everyone's day. --- Meredith Cummings, Editor-in-Chief, So It Goes: The Literary Journal of the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library