As days get longer and temperatures begin to climb, birds and birders are anxiously waiting for that annual bliss that comes with the change in seasons. Yes—you know what I am talking about: Spring Migration. While some species are already on the move, we’re waiting for that burst of northward movement from the bulk of […]
As the smallest birds on Earth, hummingbirds may seem frail—so it’s not surprising Donovan Nixon asked Weird Animal Question of the Week how they cope with winter. Turns out these airborne jewels are as tough as diamonds. In cold weather, hummingbird bodies enter into an “energy-conservation mode called torpor,” according to Oregon State ecologist Adam […]
At the end of each year I like to go back and look at the bird photographs I have taken and choose the ones I like the best for a “favorite bird photo” post. I try to pick at least one photograph from each month however some months were photographically prolific, others not so much. […]
If you want to attract birds to your yard you need three main attributes, food, shelter and water. For most song birds, a water source is essential for both drinking and bathing, and if you have a choice, running water is your best bet. Birds can’t resist moving water, as demonstrated by the Anna’s Hummingbirds […]
A couple of weeks ago I kept hearing a simple, three pitched call from the yard. I went out to investigate and it was the Black-headed Grosbeak fledgling calling to be fed. Click on photos for full sized images. It was a familiar song but I hadn’t heard it since last year and it is […]
We have six large hummingbird feeders surrounding our house in Northern California but we also have several flower beds and native plants that the hummingbirds enjoy. As I sat on my back porch last weekend, contemplating mowing the native grasses surrounding the house and having some breakfast and my morning coffee, the hummers were all […]
The Anna’s is one of the four different Hummingbird Species found along the Pacific coast of North America. Two species: the Anna’s Hummingbird, and the Costa’s Hummingbird are the only two in the genus Calye. This genus is the “helmeted” hummingbirds, so named because their crown and gorget (chin feathers) form an iridescent ‘helmet’. In […]
Orange County, California, only gets several varieties of hummingbirds, but I never grow tired of trying to freeze them in time. Here are some of my favorite photos that I have taken over the last few years. I don’t believe in shooting them at feeders so all my shots are taken in the wild. Please […]