Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Miller Canyon Hummingbirds

There are 18 Hummingbird species listed in The Sibley Guide to Birds. The Ruby Throated is the only Hummingbird found in the Eastern US. (There have been rare sightings of Rufus as well). Rufus, Broad Tailed, Caliope, and Black Chinned are found in the Western US. (Allen's, Anna's and Costa's are sometimes found along the West Coast). 14 of the 18 Hummingbirds can be found in the Southern Arizona Mountain Ranges. There have been accidental sightings of Allen's and Ruby Throated, as well as the Cinnamon and Bumblebee Hummers that aren't even listed in Sibley's Guide. I have photographed 12 of the species. On this particular day in Miller Canyon, I photographed the following:


Blue Throated Hummingbird

Broad Billed Hummingbird


Broad Tailed Hummingbird


Anna's Hummingbird

Magnificent Hummingbird

There were also many Black Chinned, a few White Eared, a couple Violet Crowned, and one Rufus female that I didn't get good photos of. I was really focusing on the Blue Throated. They are the largest of the Hummers with 8 inch wingspan. They were chasing each other around quite a bit; buzzing right over your head at times. It reconfirms my belief that Miller Canyon (Beatty's Orchard) is the best spot in the US for hummingbirds. I still hope to photograph the Lucifer. I'll try Ash Canyon again next week. 

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