Copyright ©2022 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. DO NOT USE MY IMAGES WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN PERMISSION!
While visiting Big Baby Boy and The Dark Haired Beauty earlier this month I went out early one morning to photograph the flowers that were in bloom and saw to my delight an Allen’s Hummingbird male flitting around and landing on a Bottlebrush Bush.
I haven’t seen these or hardly any Hummers where I live now so this really was a treat seeing this one. Aren’t his colors wonderful.
Fun Facts: gleaned from allaboutbirds.org
- Male and female Allen’s Hummingbirds use different habitats during the breeding season. The male sets up a territory overseeing open areas of coastal scrub or chaparral, where he perches conspicuously on exposed branches. The female visits these areas, but after mating she heads into thickets or forests to build a nest and raise the young.
- Allen’s Hummingbirds breed in a narrow strip of habitat along coastal Oregon and California. But within their tiny range two subspecies occur. One (Selasphorus sasin sasin) migrates to a small area in Mexico for the winter while the other (S. s. sedentarius) stays put in southern California year-round.
- The Allen’s Hummingbird is a remarkably early migrant compared with most North American birds. Northbound birds may depart their wintering grounds as early as December, arriving on their breeding grounds as early as January when winter rains produce an abundance of flowers.
- Like other birds, Allen’s Hummingbirds use their feet to help control their body temperature. When it’s cold outside they tuck their feet up against their bellies while flying, but when temperatures soar, they let their feet dangle to cool down.
- The oldest recorded Allen’s Hummingbird was at least 5 years 11 months old when she was captured and rereleased in California during banding operations in 2009. She was banded in the same state in 2004.~allaboutbirds.org
It’s going to be blustery and chilly here this week-end with maybe some snow and rain in the mountains so, I’ll be near home this week-end. I hope you have something fun planned!
Fuji X-T3| Fuji 100-400mm Lens| PS CC 23.2.2
more to come…
Circadianreflections Blog 
Hi Deborah, aren’t hummingbirds amazing?! I have been watching Rufous hummers at the lake which I think is similar to the Allen’s Hummingbird. The Rufous hummer has a copper colored head and is not very big in size. May seems to be mating season and we see a lot of them. They are always a joy to watch!
I haven’t ever seen the Rufous, but I’d like to! They are amazing. 😀 Thank you so much, Jill!
Wow, very impressive, Deborah. We get some hummingbirds regularly around our house. Wishing I had your photography skills!
Thank you so much, Paul! It just takes practice and having a fast shutter speed. You can do it!
Wonderful captures Deborah! The bottlebrush is an attractive landing pad and your soft backgrounds worked out perfectly.
Thank you so much! I was surprised it was finding any nectar at all on those little buds yet to bloom.
These are fabulous, Deborah! Well done on your timing!!
Thank you so much, Donna! 😀
How good you had your camera for this stunning photo shoot!
It I hard to capture hummingbirds ((IMO) and so I really appreciate these – esp the bye-bye one
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Thank you so much, Yvette! It hard to get them flying!
Beautiful images of the Allen, I would love to see one of these birds one day.
Thank you so much, John!
Wonderful!
Thanks, Pit!
What a treat! He is gorgeous!!
Thank you so much, Jennie! He was pretty.
Very pretty! You’re welcome, Deborah.
What a little beauty! You did a marvellous job of capturing it, Deborah!
What a little beauty, a hummingbird I’ve never seen before. You did a marvellous job of capturing him, Deborah!
I’d no idea there were hummingbirds like these. Very intriguing, great photos.
Thank you so much, Ally!
What a wonderful find Deborah. I like to get out early also when visiting family in their different locations, you never know what gifts you may be granted.
Thank you so much, Ashley! That’s so true!! 😃
Deborah, your photos are always excellent, but these photos are exceptional. I would give you an A++ or a 15 on a scale of 1-10. I’ve had a hummingbird feeder out for a couple of weeks with no visitors so these photos made my day.
Thank you so much, Judy for that wonderful compliment! 🥰 I’m hoping my neighbors trumpet plant draws in the Anna’s this year. I didn’t see it last year at all so, I was happy to see this one when visiting my son.
A fabulous collection, Deborah! Hummingbirds have a special kind of magic!!
Thank you so much, Rebecca! I totally agree they’re little bundles of magic. 😃
What a gorgeous pictures of this wonderful bird, Deborah. You folks are blessed with this beautiful creatures!
Thank you so much ,Peter! That’s how I feel when I see them. What is your most colorful bird there?
That could be the Oriole, Deborah. I’m far from an ornithologist, but perhaps this is the most colourful bird over here, and… wait… the kingfisher is also a candidate. The male pheasant perhaps…
Ah, I watched a video about Dutch birds and see you have some really great birds that we don’t! You have the beautiful Common Kingfisher!! I’d love to see that one.
Gorgeous photos of a gorgeous bird! The colors are lovely.
Thank you so much, Janis! 😃
Beautiful photos, Deborah. I enjoyed reading about the Allen’s Hummingbird. I have never seen one so this was fun.
Thank you so much, John! I don’t see them here. I used to head over to Santa Cruz annually to see them. They’d winter there so it was really nice to see this one while in SoCAL.
What a treat.
Fascinating! Love your photos (as always) and reading about the hummingbird. There are a lot of hummingbirds at my new abode on Vancouver Island and I see them even in the depths of our winter (mildest in Canada). They are truly small but mighty!
Deb
Thank you so much, Deb! How cool that you have them there! I didn’t know that. They are mighty and so pretty. 😃
These photos are absolutely stunning, Deborah. I know how fast these little guys move, and how reluctant they are to stay in or near one place. You certainly took your A-Game with you that day.
I can’t pick as favorite – they all are amazing to me.
I hope you have a wonderful long weekend (I know, we’re retired, but still – enjoy)!
Thank you so much, Dan! They’re amazing birds.
I know right? What’s a week-end to a retiree? 🤣 Thank you! I hope you have a good holiday week-end as well.
Little hummers…🥰
Thank you so much, Belinda! I did find this in my Spam folder! Hopefully, that won’t happen again. I hit the approved button. 😃
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Your first picture struck me as a bit strange because the hummingbird was standing on something. In almost all the hummingbird pictures I see, the hummingbird is hovering. It seems that people take a lot more pictures of them hovering because it’s something few birds can do.
Ah yes, the in-flight/hover shot. I’ve been fortunate and have some of those images myself but, not of this one. This one was happy to be perched when not flitting from one branch to another.
I was struck by the third image where I can SEE the moment of takeoff, love it!
Thank you so much! I love that you see his little feet about ready to jump off, and the movement of its wings. I was happy with that image. 😀
I was, too 🙂 It’s amazing to see motion in a still!
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