Hummingbird Photos - South Central Texas

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HUMMINGBIRDS

There is a great variety of hummingbird species found
around Utopia. I have detected more than 10 kinds here, so far.
These pictures are mostly poor, but they give an idea of the
magic of hummingbirds. The numbers of individuals locally
can be staggering as well. We have had a thousand plus
individuals at once at our 8 feeders on Seco Ridge,
consuming a gallon of fluid, or 2 lbs. of sugar daily!

The payoff is, besides the intimate study opportunities,
and the entertainment, you might attract a stray vagrant
rarity by having all the gang over for lunch regularly.
Learn your regular common hummingbirds so when something
unusual shows up, it stands out to you. Either write a
description while looking at it, or better, take pictures.

Note bill color if any, tail pattern, and head and throat pattern.
Over 99% of what is here is Black-chinned or Ruby-throated.
But Green Violet-Ear, Blue-throated, Lucifer, Costa's, Allen's,
and White-eared are amongst the rarities found in the other 1%.
Broad-tailed is annual and Calliope is probably so too.

Remember, it only takes one good hummer to make your day.
:D

Our most common hummingbird locally is Black-chinned.
It is the abundant breeding species March to August.

Black-chinned Hummingbird, female
A slow backlit exposure to show wing and tail movement...
this is close to how our eyes see them....
Note Black-chinned nearly constantly wags its tail.

Black-chinned Hummingbird, female
A faster exposure to freeze movement
creates a different image of them.

Fem. Black-chinned Hummingbird

Black-chinned Hummingbird (female)

Black-chinned Hummingbird, adult male
usually the throat appears black.

When you are lucky you get to see the purple.

Here's a closeup.

imm. male Black-chinned Hummingbird

female White-eared Hummingbird at Seco Ridge, July 21, 2007
2nd hill country record, 1st Uvalde Co. record

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds - females and or imm. males

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Rufous Hummingbird - imm. female

Rufous or Allen's Hummingbird
Non-adult males are best called
Selasphorus species.

Hummingbird at Flower

Calliope Hummingbird - America's smallest bird - near Utopia, Sept. 05

Calliope (left) and imm. male Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - male

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - adult males

Anna's Hummingbird - hatch-year male digiscoped
near Utopia, Nov. 11-14, '05

Anna's Hummingbird #2 in '05, Dec. 3-9.

Rufous Hummingbird - lighting is everything
with hummers, a change of angle and colorless
dark can become radiant neon iridescent.

If you really care about the best for your birds,
the best thing you can feed them is 4 parts water to
1 part SUGAR (1 cup sugar to 4 cups water) which most
closely exactly duplicates real nectar found in flowers.
No professional or expert uses the pre-made mixes.
Never put out refrigerated fluid.

There will be more hummingbird photos added
to this page in the future!

To see more of my hummingbird photos (as if they are that good)
visit one of my other websites that have additional pictures.
Mitch's Miscellaneous
and scroll down on the front page and click Allen's Hummingbird page link.
Also at: Harbor Park Pages
Go to the bird photos page, and then to Hummingbird photos page.

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