Anna's Hummingbird

Female Anna's Hummingbird

I wanted to share with you our hummingbird magic at El Presidio.  The hummingbirds have headed south except for our year round residents.  These were hummingbirds raised at El Presidio by their parents.  She sat and waited for me to get home and change the nectar.

I can stand literally inches away from her because I was with her when she hatched from that egg.....or during that crazy monsoon storm when they all hovered around me during my lightning photo shoot.  Her brother also flies near me and hangs around while I change the feeders.  He's not as trusting but he hangs in the air only inches away from my face sometimes:)  I always smile at their lack of patience.

If the feeder is low, they'll sit on the branches early in the morning and wait for me.

I'll be setting up a 3rd feeder again and I'm hoping no one steals this one.  Over the past year, we've had human attacks on 2 hummingbird feeders and one on the regular feeder in the courtyard.  A glass feeder was shattered, another stolen, and the regular seed feeder was yanked out of the ground.

But for the most part, these Anna's hummers have a nice life here on the property.  Protected.  Safe.  And secure up in their oak trees and other secret places that only their gardener friend knows about:)

This male Anna's was taken at Ramsey Canyon this summer but I wanted to show this guy again to help ID if you come and visit Arizona.  We have two males living on the property at El Presidio.  This past year, we had two active nests.  What will this year bring?

More to come....

Captain Jack Sparrow and Friends

Here are some observations about birdfeeders from our Tucson gardens.  I stopped putting birdseed out at night since someone thought it was funny to make a seed trail to one of the units at El Presidio.  I know I try to go for fantasy in the garden but in reality, we are not Hansel and Grettel.  So at some point in the morning, I go out and put the food in their feeders. 

A call is made by one bird.  Today it was Captain Jack Sparrow.  Notice the tail and you'll understand why I call him that name.  There aren't any birds around at all and the minute I pour the seed into the feeders, one singular call is made.

In the hot humid temps, one bird appears.  Then another. And another......until the entire area is full of life and activity.

My birdfeeder visits attract Verdins, Anna's Hummingbird(crossing my fingers for that random Rufous visit), House Sparrows, House Finches, Pigeons, Mourning Doves, Curve Billed Thrashers and Cardinals.

I tried a new setting on the camera to see how the images would turn out in the bright sun.  And I kind of like the darker images.

Currently, there are a lot of juvenile birds out there and as always, it's fun to watch them learn from their parents. 

This Mourning Dove was quite cute sitting waiting patiently for several of the other birds to move out.  So I am hopeful that I'll see a Rufous Hummingbird or some Incan Doves.....or perhaps a Gambel's Quail.  More tomorrow....