While away on vacation, we had the privilege of driving through Joshua Tree National Park which is part of the Mohave Desert. It is vastly different from our area in NW Montana, seeming very desolate and uninhabitable.
Especially for this little thing…
We visited the Cottonwood Spring Oasis, where there were not only several Fan Palm trees but as the name suggest a couple of Cottonwood trees.
We were very pleasantly surprised to see this little hummingbird perched on this thorny bush. I believe it is a female
BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD Archilochus alexandri but could be wrong. ;)
Linking to
Cool shot. I went birding in Mindo, Ecuador today. Bird of the day: Red-headed barbet. I’ll post about it sometime soon. Cheers
Very fun, Mike! Lucky you!
Beautiful desert shots Erin! That oasis is gorgeous. Nice shots of the little hummer too. I think it might be a female Anna’s and I say that because of all the spotting on the throat and the “dirty” flanks. Female Black-chins usually have a more creamy white throat. Either way, it’s cool to see them out in the desert!
She’s a beauty!!
Thanks Larry! The Anna’s was the other one I was trying to decide between. Thanks for the clarification.
Beautiful shots. I loved the green hummingbird the best. Such a beautiful color!
Beautiful birds and, by the sound of it, an equally beautiful life.
I would love to see a Humming bird in the feather – not much chance in Australia. I suppose I’ll have to get an air ticket!
Cheers and thanks for lining to WBW.
Stewart M – Melbourne
awww, she’s so tiny and cute! I love seeing different wildlife while travelling
I’ve been there and it’s absolutely beautiful AND your photos capture that perfectly…
Your hummingbird photos are wonderful!! We have been to Joshua Tree, and found it lovely but rather strange to view. We lived in Arizona for 14 years, and even though the desert is beautiful to me, most everything in it can hurt you in one way or another.
amazing shots of those birds. Great H!
Amazing shots of that really nice bird. I’ve
been to the area and it’s so beautiful.
So glad you were able to walk through
those Joshua Trees. I wanted to take a few
home…lol
Sandy
Exquisite photography ~ love the hummingbird!
(A Creative Harbor) aka ArtMuseDog and Carol ^_^)
I love the Mojave! I went birding in this exact place some time last year. I was working in the desert there doing nesting bird surveys. We had a lot of these little guys nesting everywhere. They make the neatest and most delicate nests.
Your bird is actually a female Costa’s Hummingbird. They are very common in the area, along with the Anna’s. If you notice, a quick tip to differentiating the two is whether or not the wing tips reach the end of the tail. On the Anna’s Hummingbird, the tail extends past the wing. Your bird’s wings reach the to the tip of the tail!
The Black-chinned are less common in the area and mostly seen during migration. They are larger hummingbirds with a longer, slightly curved bill. The wing shape is also quite different.
I’m happy to see people exploring such special places. Thanks for sharing your experience!
B
Very informative!! Thanks!
Oh that cute little hummer is all that dry area.. It’s funny but there have been Nature Notes posts about the 3 creatures that my late friend who was a wildlife rehabber loved to work with.. bats, bunnies and hummers. Can you imagine taking care of that tiny being.. amazing..Michelle
[...] 23.Derek ” Frenemies” Canada 24.Laura Hegfield ” what is real?” USA 25.Dancing Aspens Farm ” The Desert and a Hummingbird” USA 26.Lorri M Writings ” Wednesday Photographs” USA 27.Jeff’s Ecobirder ” [...]
Hummingbirds absolutely fascinate me.
We are moving to a house with lots of bottle brush trees. It will be interested to see how many we get in our yard.
Here in the desert they are always attracted to gardens…perhaps becasue there are so few. I quickly learned not to wear pink or red shirts when I worked in mine. It’s almost a little frightening to have some many whizzing around your head.
Thanks for sharing this neat link for the letter ‘H’.
A+