Shooting hummingbirds?

Get a wireless shutter release! I stay inside and watch through the window and push the remote when the hummingbirds get in frame.

Try to put your feeder in an area with good light, or use a flash, as you said. I've found that the hummingbirds get used to the flash faster than they get used to the actual sound of the camera. Try to turn off any beeps that aren't necessary.

If you don't have a remote release, do you have a cable release? If so, position a chair as far away as possible, with you still holding the cable. You sitting lower than the feeder seems to make the hummingbirds more comfortable. I've had them drop down and buzz me right in the face while I'm sitting there.

And, of course, the fastest shutterspeed your lighting will allow.

You can shoot high speeds using a flash, you need it, to stop the wings.

Check this guys work

http://s187748737.onlinehome.us/

If you have questions, ask him, mention my name, Ryan, he lives in your neck of the woods, look him up.

Shooting in the evening, using flash and using a fast shutter speed (but not faster than the synch speed) will get rid of ugly backgrounds.

Benji

I'm thinking that I can set my camera up pretty far away with a 200mm lens which would make me look like less of a threat to the birds. 

Of course since I started this thread I haven't seen a single hummingbird flying around our backyard.