Tinkertown Hummingbirds
Tinkertown is a place on the outskirts of Albuquerque that demands a visit from anyone interested in tinkering, the circus, craft, imagination, hand-painted signs, humor, and hummingbirds. I was stuck at the front door for twenty minutes because of the latter. Above, a Broad-tailed Hummingbird surveys the scene. (Fellow bird nerds, please correct my IDs in the comments if I’m off about any of these beauties.)
A closer look in profile.
A male Broad-tail dipping in for more while trying to avoid the hyper-aggressive Rufous Hummingbird chasing off all comers.
Eighty beats a second means those wings have to be light… so light they become transparent.
This bird seems to have had an encounter with feather mites… or, less likely, a dust-up with the Rufous on a particularly bad day.
The resident aggressor. A stunningly beautiful bird stakes his claim to the feeder.
Great photos! I love hummingbirds. Thanks for sharing!
August 8, 2011 at 1:04 pm
These photos are gorgeous. The colors and clear definition on the wings and heads is unlike anything I’ve ever seen! I actually saw a hummingbird sitting in the middle of the sidewalk the other day while on a walk. I assumed it was hurt at first, but when I moved closer, it simply flew away. I took it as a good omen.
August 8, 2011 at 4:05 pm
Stunning photos! I’m such a fan of your work! Thanks for uploading these!
August 8, 2011 at 9:21 pm
Quite extraordinary. c
August 9, 2011 at 7:10 am
It’s amazing to me that these tiny birds are so fiercely territorial. I applaud the Broad-tail beauties for their persistence. I hadn’t heard of Tinkertown. I’ll have to look for it the next time I’m in the area. Thank you for the recommendation.
August 10, 2011 at 10:49 am