VIDEO: Birdwatching in the backyard yields close-ups of the speedy hummingbird

Collingwood resident and birdwatcher Jon Vopni is enjoying the extra time at home lately to do some backyard birdwatching. 

He's seen some rare birds while at home and has put together this series of photos of the Ruby Throated Hummingbird. 

The photos were taken in his backyard on and around his nectar feeder. Vopni said the best nectar he's found is just a mix of water and white sugar. He boils one litre of water and adds two-to-three tablespoons of white sugar, stirs it until it's dissolved and then lets it cool. Then he fills the nectar feeder and enjoys the visitors. 

He said not to use brown or unrefined sugars, as they aren't good for birds. 

Butterfly bushes and other nectar flowers also help attract hummingbirds. 

According to the Merlinbird ID app: The Ruby Throated Hummingbird is the only species of hummingbird that breeds in eastern U.S. and Canada. Found in a variety of wooded and brushy habitats. Males have red-and-black throat, greenish upperparts, dingy whitish belly, and dark tail. Females are green above and whitish below, lacking buffy-orange tones underneath. Readily comes to sugar water feeders and flower gardens. 

Enjoy the video featuring Vopni's photographs and an audio recording of the hummingbird's song.