Ruby Throated Hummingbird

"Awwweeee the Rain!"

Just hanging out on a warm and humid late summer afternoon with your tongue out and eyes closed catching liquid sunshine! Doesn't get better than that! I captured this first-year male ruby-throated hummingbird in a steady late summer shower in Blairstown, New Jersey as it stopped to relax for a bit on its long migratory journey to Mexico and Central America. A brief respite to refuel its metabolic engine with the nectar of jewel and milk-weed before continuing forward. As a wildlife photographer I view rain as an opportunity to document the raw beauty weather imposes upon the natural world and the struggles met to contain and deal with it. I can never understand when people talk about non-halcyon weather as "nasty", "horrible", "miserable", instead of, "exciting", "cool", "exhilarating."

Maybe we should learn from the hummingbird. Next time you're out and it starts to pour go outside, close your eyes, stick out your tongue and say aloud, "Awwwwweeee the Rain!"