The Chuparosa Challenge-Stat!

No new pics today, but an overall collection of photos from the hummingbirds I have discovered since I began the Chuparosa Challenge.  And where I've found these birds. In fact, this write is really about how different each canyon and mountain top is from one another and how they'll attract certain kinds of hummers. 

Broad Tailed Hummingbird

While this Broad-Tailed Hummingbird is commonly seen around canyon areas, I had a difficult time finding them at all anywhere.  A lot of observation was done throughout this past summer.  Where did I find this little guy?  On Mt. Lemmon near the Ski Lodge.  And yet, one was reported at El Presidio by a resident.  We have 3 feeders on the grounds and once again, it just shows how diverse a population can be around one property!  This guy was reported in the fruit garden that has 3 feeders under the heavy shade of Privet trees in midtown Tucson.

Magnificent Hummingbird

By early summer, the Magnificent Hummers made their presence known around all the feeders in Carr, Madera, Ramsey and Miller canyons, and of course Mt. Lemmon. They went from a rare spotting in April to regularly seen as of this write.

Ruby Throated Hummingbird

This Ruby Throat is an extremely rare find in Arizona.  This picture was taken in Wisconsin during my visit with Grandma.   From New Mexico to the Eastern half of the US, you'll find this hummer rather common.  But here in Tucson.....not so much:)

Violet Crowned Hummingbird

Then the Violet Crowned Hummer.  I'd like to note that I've spotted this hummer in Midtown Tucson several summers back.  I hadn't known how rare this hummer was for our desert floor until this past year.  Not commonly seen around the area but not as difficult to spot as the Blue Throated Hummer.   I had one sighting of the VC in Madera canyon.  All of my sightings for this particular hummer were in the Huachuca Mountains.  I observed them mostly at Ramsey Canyon.

Costa's Hummingbird

The Costa's Hummer is a beauty and can be found in our desert.  It's not so fond of the feeders and are better seen in our wildlife settings.  I found this guy at Agua Caliente Park.  He was again spotted at Saguaro East National Park and then once again around our northern feeders during the winter months at El Presidio.  He would perch in the Palo Verde tree across the road.  They do feed at the hummingbird stations but it's not a common sight.  The Plain Capped Starthroat has been difficult for me as this hummer behaves similiarly to the Costa's.  I've heard this hummer in an isolated canyon while searching for him, but I still have no photo of this elusive bird.

Broad Bill Hummingbird

While the Costa's and Starthroat are more secretive, the Broad Bill hummingbird is quite the opposite.  He doesn't care where he's seen.  In fact, you'll find this common hummer everywhere which include all of the canyons mentioned above.  The striking blue hues of the male and wonderful orange bill make this another favorite hummer for birders around the world.  The reactions are always the same...."Ooooo....look at that one!"  Both Magnificent and Broad Bills are movie stars in the eyes of the human public.

Another and extremely common hummer is the Black Chinned.  It's one of my favorites but unfortuneatly it's overlooked by many people.  It's common and rather colorless.  Even the female hummers get more attention than this guy.  I disagree with the birding crowd.  If I had to pick a hummer that is rather dull, it's the Starthroat.  At least this hummer has a purple band around the gorget.  The other day I heard an out-of-towner from CA say, "Look past the boring black one.  It's over there!"  He was referring to what he thought was a Blue Throated Hummer.  Indeed the hummingbird had a blue throat but it was a juvenile Broad Bill.

Black Chinned Hummingbird

The feeders are focal points and it's important to keep your eyes and camera fixed on them.  There is a heirarchy among the populations.  Some of the hummingbird males make sure their female counterparts feed first.  The largest of the hummers in today's post, the Magnificent, is fast and usually was chased off by Broad Tails.  It's not uncommon to see a war break out between these fast birds.  At times, it looks like they'll fly right into your face, but thankfully that never has happened:)

Magnificent and Blue Throated Hummers are two of the largest hummingbirds of North America

And finally, here is Tucson's little gem.  The Costa's and Anna's hummingbirds live here all year round.  I have a family of Anna's hummingbirds that live around the fern garden here at El Presidio.  These guys are beautiful as their heads are a nice pink color.  I would mix the Costa's and Anna's at times.  But the key between distinguishing the two apart?  Costa's is purple and Anna's is pink.  And there are some minor differents in the faces:)

Anna's Hummingbird

Of course, I've only shown you the males here as they are the ones with the distinguishing marks, but don't forget the females.  It's easy to throw them all into the same category but it has been a lot of fun for me to distinguish the various and minor differences between this interesting group.

Female Broad-billed Hummingbird

So the stats. I've found 8 of the 17 so far.  Who's left?  Plain Capped Starthroat, Rufous, Lucifer, Berylline, Blue Throated, Allen's,  White Earred, Calliope, and Buff Bellied.  Rare but possible are the Green Violet-ear hummers. Thanks Warren for keeping me on track with my studies:) Stay tuned for more....and there is more:) Hybrids, Juvies, the Devil, oh my! Rufee-oh!!!!  Just some hints;)

The Usual Suspects

Broad Billed Hummingbird

One of the things I try to be while I blog is honest.  It's important to be truthful about the experience and I gotta tell you all......today was just meh!  Oh I'm sure the photos will do, but I try to push myself on every outing....and on every outing, I've always come home happy.  But today....on this very hot hot day.....I didn't get anything new.  (Written on June 2nd)

Magnificent Hummingbird

To make matters worse, my allergies were terrible.  There was a huge fire coming coming in from New Mexico that created this terrible haze.  I don't know how I will bird in this heat.  I made time for it and could only sqeeze in a couple hours looking for the Lucifer Hummingbird!  He eludes me still.

It's not to say that I didn't see a lot of wildlife because I did achieve this objective.  But I missed the Blue Grosbeak which would have been a first for me and this blog.  Ugh!!!  I saw it but wasn't quick enough with my camera!

Acorn Woodpecker

I think what I need most is a break from the desert heat until monsoon comes.  It really isn't nice at all to do.  Hats off to the people who get up super early to snap shots of all those amazing birds. I'll do more of it when July hits again.  The humidity is of course terrible during that time but there is always hope for much needed rain everyday.

Black Chinned Hummingbird

Maybe it's frustration I want to convey on this post.  People always wonder what we desert rats do during the summer and the answer is.....stay indoors during the afternoon like people do during the winter in the colder regions.  Evenings are great, but I'm out watering plants.  Mornings are great but I'm usually sleeping:)

But you also gotta feel for the birds around the area.  Our hummingbird feeders are attacked regularly by the large and heavy woodpeckers.  They are very awkward looking as they hang and swing from the feeders.  Let me just say that they spill lots!!!  Their "tongue" is similiar to that of a hummingbird and therefore love to visit our feeders as well.  Today in the canyon it was 98 degrees!!!  I had plenty of water but still.....

I wore my hat and hid in the shade as much as I could.  There is a lot to see if you can withstand the temps.  It reminded me of Panama last summer but with all the humidity involved!!!  So much wildlife out and about at all times of the days around the canyon areas.  In the desert, you'll find it very very quiet during the afternoon unless you are looking for lizards.

So it's great to go to cooler locals if it's possible.   The problem is that some of them are 45 minutes to an hour away.  For example, heading up to Mt. Lemmon is ideal, but the trip will take you an 1 and some minutes to rise the 20 some odd miles to the top.  Or if you are heading to Carr Canyon, the dirt roads can be difficult to navigate if you have a regular car like I do.  Good tires are the key:) More tomorrow...


Gerbera Daisy

The Chuparosa Challenge-Girl Problems

I know I know.  Tough life:)  Hey, it's a challenge.  There's nothing easy about this post today:)  So this was the 3rd Chuparosa Challenge and I was on a search for the Female White Eared Hummingbird.  This challenge would prove to be a failure.  Or would it?  The females in the hummingbird family are some of the MOST difficult to identify in the bird world.

Today I would get much better shots of the hummingbirds as I searched high and low for the female White Eared Hummer.  While the males are pretty easy to pick out, the females and juveniles provide the most difficulty.  A birder once told me that you have to look at the throat, bill, color of the bill, shape of the bill and flight patterns to figure out who is who in the world of hummers.  With only 16 hummers to identify, one would think that easy.....but it's not. Arizona is one of the only places to see all of these hummingbirds in North America. And did you know?  In South America, there are over 200 varieties of hummingbirds?  Talk about a show!

But I would capture my usual suspects.....the Broad Billed and Black Chinned Hummingbirds.

And they were pretty amazing....once again.

I am never disappointed by their grace and dignity:)

But then, I viewed the trees in the area and found my first female.  Green, dark line from eye, and orange bill.  It was a little dark at the end.  The White Eared Hummer?  No.  So it made me think....could birders have mislabeled the bird?  This female is a Broad Billed Hummer.  She has a longer bill than that of the female White Ear.  And let me tell you, I asked birders all around and they were all stumped.  After sitting down at home for several hours comparing pics and using my guide, I am convinced that this is the Broad Billed Female.  The White Ear is similiar but with a shorter bill.   Darn it!

Than I saw this female.  And my heart started racing!!!  Could it be????  No.  This is the Magnificent Female.  Long dark bill. And more importantly....you have to look at the front of the breast.

Like most of the males in the bird world, they are much more showy with brighter and brilliant colors.  Look at how this male Broad Billed Hummingbird shines a bright blue in the sun.

He is definitely a stunner!

While the females are challenging, I don't feel like this was time lost.  I am quickly learning the names of the hummers with extensive time in the field.  Today I can identify them a little bit more than the last time I wrote from the Chuparosa Challenge.  Stay tuned for more.....

The Chuparosa Challenge-Magnificent!

Black Chinned Hummingbird

Greetings all!!!  This post is dated on May 5th, 2012 in Carr Canyon near Sierra Vista.   There has been a reported sighting of a Lucifer Hummingbird near a secluded Bed and Breakfast.  I went to find the place and discovered that no one was there....so I decided not to stay.  So I moved onto a busier area in the Carr Canyon region. This hummingbird challenge is fun because you get to sit watching feeders and talking to people.   It's probably one of the easier challenges once you find the place.   The tricky part is finding the places and of course....the photography.  Hummers are extremely fast.  For me it's gotta be a legit sighting for it to count.  And I need to observe the flight patterns etc for it to work. 

Of course the trickier part still is the identification of the female hummer.  Most of the females are tricky to distinguish from one another making me ponder the bigger question....."How do the males tell the females apart?"

While searching for the Lucifer, the Black Chinned Hummers flew around in great numbers.  Most people consider these hummers to be "boring".  To be honest, I think they are my favorite.  And I think they are quite elegant.....so I hope I captured this small bird to show you all how beautiful he really is.  If you look closer, you'll also notice just enough purple to give this little guy color.

But alas, I had already accomplished my goal of snapping shots of the Black Chinned Hummingbird.  Where was the Lucifer???

A sudden burst of blue....AND LARGE....flew into my line of sight and at first I thought it may have been the Broad Billed Hummer.  But on closer examination, I discovered the Magnificent Hummingbird!!!!  It was on the list of "Must Sees!"

The Magnificent Hummingbird

And this guy was quite large compared to the other hummers visiting the feeder......the chin up is blue with a longer black bill.

He disappeared rather quickly and I waited for awhile chatting with Mike at the Carr House.  It was a nice afternoon in the cooler canyon breezes. 

As I was getting ready to go home, the Magnificent came back and allowed me to capture several shots without flight involved.  Here you can see the dark bill and darker blues and purples. 

Are you looking to do some hummingbird investigation?  Here are some hints that help me out while in the field.  I like to wear bright red or blue shirts.  It seems to call their names.  Also find an area that hummers like to congregate around.....like canyons, bed and breakfasts, etc.  Wherever there is a feeder, you'll find hummers:)  Several birders bring their own feeders on trips to attract the hummingbirds to their cabin!!!  Brilliant idea!

So to date, I've seen the Magnificent Hummingbird, Broad Billed Hummingbird, Black Chinned Hummingbird, Costa's Hummingbird and the Anna's Hummingbird. 

And here's a visual review of what I've snapped....

Anna's Hummingbird

The Anna's and Costa's Hummingbirds are year round residents here in Tucson.  The Anna's have a pink head while the Costa's have a purple head.

Costa's Hummingbird

Broad Billed Hummingbird

And of course this is the Broad Billed Hummingbird.  Orange bill and lighter blue tones. I'm still on the hunt for more interesting hummers. I have so many more to find and as the summer heats up, they'll be hanging out in the cooler areas around the feeders.  Stay tuned for more from this series!

Cool pic.  Found this online at this blog.  How many do you recognize?

The Chuparosa Challenge

Black Chinned Hummer

Oh my gosh, some months are what I'd like to call a "huevo buster"!  Blogging, final exams, summer plans all mixed together. I do enjoy writing and photography, but I love being in the field just as much as the other two.  As I'm finalizing this months work, I'm prepping up my material for June.   I'll be taking you to the Phoenix Comicon and the "Islands of Lake Michigan".  It's more of a historical trip back in time with family and friends.  But I'm also working on another series, inspired by Warren at Pittswood Birds.

Broad Billed Hummer

He suggested in a comment back in April that I find all 16 or 18 hummers around the Tucson area.  But I'm also going to extend it to Wisconsin as well since we'll be visiting there.  I've begun the search already and have spotted 4 of the required hummers.  I even purchased a guide to help me discover where I'd find them all.  It appears the Allen's Hummer may be my biggest challenge.  But maybe not.  My detective skills have gotten sharper.  Again thanks to Warren's encouragement, I was able to track Great Horned Owls and their nests this year.

As I find them, I will post the pictures.  The blog titles will be labeled, "The Chuparosa Challenge-"Insert Hummer Name".  I'm being a little creative here with their name.  I like the word hummingbird, but one of the Spanish names is "La Chuparosa" or "Rose sucker".  It sounds better in Spanish:)

Many of you are fascinated by hummingbirds and don't have them flying around your areas so I thought I'd share these tiny and delicate little birds with you.  Hummers are VERY territorial, smart, and aggressive birds.  I like to think of them as the Chihuahuas of birds:)  But prettier.....

So what have I seen this year?  So far, if you type in hummingbird into my blog search, you'll see captures of a Costa's and Anna's Hummingbird(which are year round at El Presidio).  They nest here and have families in and around our property.  Other hummers I've spotted?

Today, you see two more hummers that I'm adding to the list.  There is the Black-Chinned Hummer.  The blue one with the orange bill is called the Broad Billed Hummingbird.   Both are common around the Tucson area.  The Black-Chinned I have found all around town.  The Broad Billed is in the canyon and lake areas like Madera Canyon or Patagonia Lake.  

Hummingbirds can be difficult to identify.  While I was in Panama, I had a blast filming them in the rain forest.  The hard part, however, comes from distinguishing the blues and greens from each other.  The males and females are very different and many of them can appear similiar.  A birder told me that many times, it comes down to the throat coloring.  Tricky tricky.

The summer brings many of these beautiful birds up to visit.  In a previous post, I had stated that there were 18 hummers here in Southern Arizona, but another birder told me that only 16 were found here.  Briefly I'd like to mention this cool meeting while we were checking up on the resident owl family.  She was trying to find the owlets and I helped her out.  We got to talking some more and hummingbirds came up. She had found them all except for the reclusive Allens.

To conclude, I have yet to find the Plain-capped Starthroat, Green Violet-Ear, Lucifer, Violet-Crowned(this one comes to my garden in June and July), Berylline, Buff-bellied, White-eared, Blue-throated, Magnificent(this one should be easy), Ruby Throated, Calliope, Broad-tailed, Rufous, and Allen's hummingbird.  There have been reports of the Rufous in Florida canyon....a place I have yet to explore.

Stay tuned for more from this series......