Broad-tailed Hummingbirds have not been cooperative when it comes to posing for photos—until today.
I’ve caught glimpses of these high-elevation hummers in Coyote Canyon—the cool, shady valley that dog and I ascend each morning—as they zip around hunting tiny insects among the proliferous bigtooth maple leaves. But the light is dim, and hummingbirds are active, and I sort of gave up.
Today, though, there a few (or more) were making those cricket-like sounds with their wings above us as, so I stopped to watch and listen, and a male decided to perch right in front of me. (I rarely see males, either, since they’re basically chauvinist pigs who sleep around and the leave the nest-building, chick-rearing, and youngster-feeding to females.)
Felt good to grab that photo.
In contrast, just beyond the hummers, I happened upon a male Black-throated Gray Warbler bring a small lacy-winged insect to a begging fledgling.
And so life goes on despite it all.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 8 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Black-chinned Hummingbird
2. Mourning Dove
3. House Finch**
4. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
5. American Robin*
6. Eastern Towhee
7. Black-headed Grosbeak
8. Lazuli Bunting
9. Black-capped Chickadee
10. Red-breasted Nuthatch
11. Pine Siskin
12. Broad-tailed Hummingbird
13. Cooper’s Hawk
14. Black-throated Gray Warbler
15. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay
16. Lesser Goldfinch** (v)
Elsewhere
17. Eurasian Collared Dove (v)
Mammals
Mountain Cottontail
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American robin, blac-headed grosbeak, black-capped chickadee, black-chinned hummingbird, black-throated gray warbler, blue-gray gnatcatcher, broad-tailed hummingbird, cooper's hawk, eastern towhee, Eurasian collared dove, house finch, lazuli bunting, lesser goldfinch, mountain cottontail, mourning dove, pine siskin, red-breasted nuthatch, Woodhouse’s scrub jay
