Winds of Change
(click on photo to enlarge)
Spring can be very windy in the high desert. 30-40 mph gusts seem to be the norm lately. Some new birds have “blown” into the yard and I couldn’t be more pleased. The hummingbirds are migrating through along with a probable resident or two. The first to arrive were the Anna’s — very fleeting visits to the feeders and off they went. No photos ops there.
The most unique sighting thus far was a beautiful Broad-billed Hummingbird (Cynanthus latirostris) seen only on one day and uncommon for this area (so I’m told).
Broad-billed Hummingbird (Cynanthus latirostris), male
A loud twittering of wings announced the arrival of the Broad-tailed hummers (Selasphorus platycercus). Feisty little birds (but then aren’t all hummers feisty?) with a very pronounced mechanical wing sound that makes them easy to identify without even seeing them. One or two have been around for a week or so now but eventually they’ll be moving into the higher mountain ranges both in Arizona and as far north as Idaho and Montana. I wonder if the Dragoons are high enough for them to nest?
I was lucky to even get this shot. With high winds, and the feeders swaying to and fro, there is only a small window of opportunity for photography these days. Look at that gorgeous ruby gorget!
Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus), male
Along with the Broad-taileds came the gorgeous green and orange male Rufous Hummingbirds (Selasphorus rufus). They too have escaped the camera lens thus far.
Last but not least, because this species is a summer resident here, is the Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri). Notice how the head looks blackish and how the tail projects slightly beyond the wingtips.
Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri), male
If the sun hits the gorget at the right angle you can see the brilliant purple band below the black throat.
Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri), male
As you may have noticed, all of the above-mentioned birds are males. They usually arrive on territory first and the females follow. Already a female Black-chinned has arrived and she may or may not be migrating through.
Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri), female
Most female hummingbirds are notoriously hard to identify. The above bird shows all the correct characteristics of a female Black-chinned: tail projects slightly beyond the wingtips, bill is long and only slightly decurved, primary feathers are rounded and when she hovers, as does the male, she pumps her tail rapidly.
The winds of change have brought other changes to the bird population here. More about that in the next post.
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