Broad Billed Hummingbird

Hummingbird season is getting into full swing now. Here is a male Broad Billed Hummingbird that wanted his photo taken:

Favorite Wildlife Photos of 2018 - III

Broad Billed Hummingbird taking nectar from a Western Coral Bean plant in Molino Basin on the way up Mount Lemmon:

Broad Billed Hummingbird

Hummingbirds at Ash Canyon B&B

It's the height of the hummingbird season, so after Huachuca Canyon I visited Ash Canyon B&B in hopes of finding Lucifer Hummingbirds.

It's a reasonable safe bet this time of year at what is perhaps the most reliable place in the United States to find this "rare" hummer.

Both male and female Lucifers made appearances, plus a good number of other hummers. Here are a few of the photos I took:

Lucifer Hummingbird Male

Lucifer Hummingbird Female

Broad Billed Hummingbird Male

Broad Tailed Hummingbird (young male)

New Year Babies: Broad Billed Hummingbird

The New Year brings new life and new hope. So why not a series on Wildlife "Babies"?

Here a Broad Billed Hummingbird fledgling just out of its nest, again here at The Azure Gate B&B:

Broad Billed Hummingbird Fledgling

Saint Gertrudis Lane, Tumacacori Part VII

And finally some miscellaneous photos from the Santa Cruz River:

Summer Tanager Male

Vermillion Flycatcher Female

Broad Billed Hummingbird Female

 As I was standing on the near side of the river I noticed a bird sitting in a tree on the other side. I took a photo only to realize after taking the photo is was "just" a dove -- which we have hundreds of at any point in time here on our property. However, when I uploaded the photo from my camera I noticed that it was actually an Inca Dove -- as opposed to a Mourning Dove or White Winged Dove. So I was pleasantly surprised. I realized that there was something compelling me to take the photo even though I didn't know what it was at the time:

Inca Dove

And finally, a bird flew into one of the trees along the river giving me less that a second to snap the photo. Usually I take the photo first and identify it second. The problem was he was gone before I could identify it. Again, it wasn't until I got home and uploaded the photos that I realized what I had:

Blue Grosbeak Male

Birding The Azure Gate

After breakfast this morning I though I would walk around our property with my camera just to see what was going on.

First, I wanted to see if there were any signs of baby Cooper's Hawk's in the nest. Mom was there moving around a bit but since the nest is 60 feet off the ground it's hard to tell:

Cooper's Hawk

Next a quick check of the Anna's Hummingbird nest:

Anna's Hummingbird

Then a nice Broad Billed Hummer -- both male and female:

Broad Billed Hummingbird Male

Broad Billed Hummingbird Female

A Lucy's Warbler on one of our Creosote Bushes:

Lucy's Warbler

And, finally a Rufous Winged Sparrow seemed to want his photo taken:

Rufous Winged Sparrow

Of course there were all sorts of other birds to be seen (though I didn't photograph them):

White Winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Gambel's Quail
Lesser Goldfinch
Verdin
House Finch
House Sparrow
Cactus Wren
Curved Billed Thrasher
Gila Woodpecker
Male and Female Cardinal
Male and Female Pyrrhuloxia
Male Phainopepla

Birds on a Wire: Broad Billed Hummingbird

Around nectar feeders, hummingbirds use nearby wire to sit and rest primarily. Sometimes they will clean their bill on the wire, but it is less often that the wire is a perch to catch insects passing by.

Here are two photos of Broad Billed Hummers at rest:

Male Broad Billed Hummingbird

Male Broad Billed Hummingbird

In the last photo a Male Broad Billed Hummer about to land on the wire -- already occupied by a Female Anna's Hummer:

Male Broad Billed Hummingbird and Female Anna's Hummingbird

More from Agua Caliente

More from my birding Agua Caliente:

Lucy's Warbler Singing

Lucy's Warbler with Worm

Black Tailed Gnatcatcher

Broad Billed Hummingbird drinking from Flowering Cholla

Bobcat Streaking By

Roadrunner with Desert Spiny Lizard

Hummingbirds of Southern Arizona: Broad Billed Hummingbird

This beautiful little red billed hummer is another hummer pretty much restricted to Southeastern Arizona with occasional reports out of Texas and New Mexico. We see them here at The Azure Gate most days.

Broad Billed Hummingbird

Rock Corral Canyon, Tumacacori Mountains

Since I had success (and fun) a couple weeks ago going into the Tumacacori Mountains, I thought I'd do it again. 

And, again lots of fun ... lots of birds.

Here's a sample:

Summer Tanager Female

Blue Grosbeak Male singing away

Lark Bunting Male who was being pursued by four Females

Hooded Oriole Male gathering food for his Chick

Hooded Oriole Chick waiting patiently for food from his Dad

Curved Bill Thrasher and Broad Bille Hummingbird wanting to feed from the Century Plant.

Very nicely detail Roadrunner

Other birds included: Gray Hawk, Lark Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Black Throated Sparrow,  Northern Cardinals -- male and female, Lesser Goldfinches, Western and Cassin's Kingbirds to name a few.

Flora and Fauna of Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast: Broad Billed Hummingbird - IV

Finally, a Broad Billed Hummingbird photo a little more "arty" as opposed to one for identification purposes:

Broad Billed Hummingbird in Mesquite Tree

Flora and Fauna of Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast: Broad Billed Hummingbird - III

Another Broad Billed Hummer:

Broad Billed Hummingbird

Flora and Fauna of Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast: Broad Billed Hummingbird - II

We see the Broad Billed Hummingbird daily throughout the fall, winter, and spring. Less so during the summer when they tend to move into the mountains where it is a bit cooler.

Broad Billed Hummingbird, Male

31 Days of My Best for 2014

December 5, 2014

Broad Billed Hummingbird