Saturday, August 24, 2013

The Rare Lucifer Hummingbird

Yesterday I got the day off to go photographing. I was again looking for the Yellow Billed Cuckoo in Las Cienegas. And, again I struck out. But I continued on to Ash Canyon to find the Lucifer Hummingbird --- with success.

The Lucifer Hummingbird is one of those very rare hummers to be found in the US. The most reliable place to find the Lucifer is at the Ash Canyon B&B. It's been spending its summers there for several years. They don't arrive in the US in large numbers, and they don't frequent hummingbird feeders like the Black Chinned, Anna's, and Broad Billed. Early in the season, it might come to a feeder once or twice a day. This time of the year it is a little more often, maybe once every 30-45 minutes. A couple of things make them special beyond their rarity. First they have long decurved bills. Second, the male has a very long and brightly colored gorget. From time to time they will be seen in the Santa Rita and Chiricahua mountains, as well as the Huachucas. They are sometimes found in the Southwest corner of New Mexico and Southwest Texas. 

Here are a few photos from yesterday:

Lucifer Hummingbird

Lucifer Hummingbird

Lucifer Hummingbird

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