Saturday, August 18, 2012

The Chupasrosa Challenge-Grow Up!


There is no denying that ID'ing a hummingbird can be difficult.  This challenge for me has led me to some incredible discoveries along the way.  Today it's about recognizing the details and also about 2 groups of people that made me smile while I sat observing.


Today's focus is on the Juvenile hummer and more specifically...the Broad-billed  hummingbird.  Madera canyon is full of them.  We've been tracking the young ones since they've been in their nests....and now....they are in their "teenage" years.   An interesting thought happened during this shoot and one that would be discussed further during my search for the Plain-capped Starthroat.

Juvenile Male Broad-billed  Hummingbird
It began with this shot above.  A young man from CA sat down with his wonderful arrogance while we all observed the large population of hummers flying around us.  There were 7 of us on this very warm morning.  I listened and watched. The man exclaims, "Look it's a Blue Throat!!!"  My heart beat fast.  Where???!!!  Where???!!!  Then I saw the "blue throat", but the markers were not right.  This hummingbird indeed had a blue throat but it was a Broad-billed coming into his own.  I never say anything unless someone asks me.  It's not my place.


As you can see, each juvenile male develops differently.  This is a sibling from the same nest.  But what got my blood boiling was what this kid said afterwards.  "We come from California and see 8 hummingbirds in one sitting!  I was talking to this old guy who lives here and he only now just saw 2 for the first time in life!  Ha, we know the spots man.  We know the spots."  He was indeed correct as he did know one our hummingbird spots here at Madera Canyon.  But as I listened to him, he was actually listing off females, juveniles,  and several of the males from 3 of the species.  8!!!  Why we could only be so lucky:)!  What he actually observed during our time together were the Black-chinned, Broad-billed and Magnificent Hummingbirds:)  The young guy was antsy for a walk and so he went to get ready for their hike.  The friends then looked at me and asked, "How many did we really see?"  And I smiled.


The two other guys were fun and quite interesting.  Their mother was with them and she had a plethora of information.  They were on a trek to find snakes and other reptiles!!!  The sad part is that I know where they hang out.  What's even sadder is that I don't actively search for them because they creep me out. I helped the guys plot out their mission for maximum snake discovery.  And they weren't the only ones looking for snakes!  I've come across groups of people searching for them.  One man asked on a hike, "Birder" or "Snake lover".  Fascinating. Don't get me wrong, snakes are wonderful....just not my thing.


So the topic came up between birders, "Have you ever....?"  You see, that's the best part about hummingbird observations.  It's the people.  Some of the topics that come up are the most interesting and I think I come back smarter from these sessions at coffee shops or in the middle of a random forest somewhere.  The hummingbird experience is a different one from other birding outings.  An older birder told me, "Sometimes when we look for "that bird" so much, we begin to believe we've found it and make it in our minds "that bird".....even though it's not."  Wow!  I thought it was just me. And it was just another case of a birder who made my day.  And so while this juvenile wasn't the Blue-throat, it did have a blue throat......and one that had a valuable lesson attached with the experience.
 

The other group that came weren't so knowledgeable.  In fact, I'm not sure what they were doing there.  Instead of watching hummingbirds, they were killing ants.  Wait....not killing them....torturing them!  I thought to myself, "Are these people for real?"  Yes, they're out there en masse.  So I just stayed focused on my observations.  You never know who will be coming to these little sessions. 


I drank much water this morning just so that I could get a glimpse of some new hummer, but alas nada.  But I'm finding that this isn't what the experience is completely about(although it would be nice).  It's about finding the patience and looking at the details.  Today I can look at a Female Hummer and ID right away.  Before it all, I thought it didn't matter.....but it does. And when I am finished, if I finish, I will be one savvy hummer expert.  Well that's my hope:) Like these juveniles, I'm learning and developing those adult feathers.  More tomorrow....

26 comments:

  1. They're precious to look at, and their beak, superb.

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  2. I think these Hummer shots are your best yet Chris. Nice one :-)

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  3. I love your hummer shots. I find sometimes id-ing any juvenile bird can be difficult. Like the Ruby Throated hummers the juvie starts out with a small dot on their throat. I do not think I would go looking for a snake, birds are just fine with me. Beautiful photos, have a great weekend.

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  4. Hey Chris,
    Great shots of this beautiful bird. Shot number 6 is fantastic with his flapping wings.

    Greetings, Marco

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  5. such a lot of interesting reflection in this post Chris I'm finding it hard to decide where to start to comment. What you've captured is that birding isn't just about getting information, it's about relationships and interactions. I am fascinated by reptiles, but all the snakes here are deadly so when we see them, we take care. We also learn from an early age not to walk in long grass in summer,etc. As for birding I am so short sighted I need to rely on you, and others, to provide the details. The colours on that juvenile hummer are superb. cheers, cat

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  6. Great post, Chris! And how many did you see?

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  7. I've never been able to get a photo of a hummingbird. Not that I've tried very hard. They are adorable little miracles. Those wings! :)

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  8. I look at the quantity of perfect shots you have and I feel like the juvenile! We just have one hummingbird couple who stay at our feeder for a few seconds or sit on the clothesline for longer periods (doesn't make for a very elegant picture.) You present such an interesting experience, point of view and lesson, shows how we all get our pictures from different places, literally and figuratively.

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  9. Beautiful! Just beautiful! You do learn a lot about people while "birding." :)

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  10. these teens are adorable! good for you for holding your tongue. :)

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  11. I'm really with you on the bird versus snake thing Chris, I know some people find them fascinating and thank goodness for that, but moi..not so much! On the other hand I could look at your shots of the Hummingbirds for ages, what wonderful little creatures, you are so knowledgeable about the different markings for each age and species. My Hummingbird experiences are definitely going to be enjoyed vicariously through your blog.

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  12. Beautiful shots! So much helpful information too. We are just beginning to ID the differences in the hummers visiting the feeder but not yet so sure of the names of each one.

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  13. I'm alaways amazed at your Hummingbird shots. Fantastic!

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  14. I'm so bad about butting in to correct someone when I do know the right answer I wouldn't have been so patient. And the ant killers would have gotten an ear full. I enjoy talking and learning from birders, and snakers too. Great series of photos.

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  15. Great essay and wonderful images.
    As a novice birder I know I don't know much so I try to get a photo and will spend up to an hour researching to decide what the bird is. Juveniles and females of many species confound me and even adult males can vary, I find, making a definitive ID difficult.

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  16. Hello there....I see you've been stopping by my blog pretty regularly and commenting. Thank you for that. So, I thought I'd hop over and check out your blog! I LOVE it, and your commentary, and insights into people. Your photos are beautiful. I had a male Ruby Throat here this morning at my feeder. I heard that with the drought, everyone's being encouraged to get their Hummer feeders filled up and put out. Thanks so much for visiting my blog...I just signed on to follow yours! Always nice to meet new bloggies.

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  17. Gorgeous shots of my favorite birds.

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  18. Szkoda, że nie mogę obserwować, tak jak Ty, tych ślicznych ptaszków, bo u nas ich nie ma. Pozdrawiam.
    It's a pity that I can not watch, just like you, these lovely birds, because with us they do not. Yours.

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  19. These are good shots. You can see those tiny flue feathers in very good detail. I don't I have the patience for what you do. That's why I come here. To see the fruits of your labor!

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  20. Wow, Chris, what PHOTOS!!! WOW!
    (Did you see the Boyce Thompson has been getting bats at their hummer feeders?)

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  21. Oh my gosh...no Brenda! I would so love to see that. I've only had one bat at the feeder overnight. The whole feeder was knocked over:) I'm heading over to their site right now. I'm working on some photography from today. What a gorgeous day to get outdoors....well early...but beautiful!

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  22. Lovely images of this beautiful bird.

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  23. Wonderful wonderful photos Chris - loved reading about your encounters with people whilst watching the hummers :) Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

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  24. What a beautiful long beak for a bird. We don't have hummingbirds but the cute sunbirds have longer beaks to and can sip nectar too while on air like the hummers. I read the comments above. We get plenty of bats when the lanzones fruits are in season, and we sometimes are awaken in our sleep coz of their noise. We can't control them and they steal our fruits.

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  25. Wonderful shots of the beautiful birds.
    Wish I could see them here.

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  26. I am so in over my head with id'ing hummers, but I don't let that stop me from enjoying them. I love your observations on other "birders" and I admire your ability to stay silent. :)

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