Last summer I was at the mouth of Grove Creek Canyon in Pleasant Grove, Utah attempting to get some photos of hummingbirds. I would have been thrilled to see Calliope and Rufous hummers, but in the end I only heard Broad-tailed and saw lots of Black-chinned. I'll share some of my favorite hummingbird images from various outings at the end of my post, but I want to share a story and a caution, first, as we head into the warmer season for some parts of the globe.
On my way down the trail to the parking lot I was scrolling through some of the images I had just captured on the display of my camera when I nearly stepped on a Great Basin Rattlesnake which was lazily sprawling across the trail in front of me. I've never encountered a rattlesnake in such a way so I stopped immediately and did a quick look at the head (definitely triangular in shape) then followed the length of its body to confirm there was indeed a rattle on the tip of the tail. I kept my distance and observed an awesome yet potentially lethal product of nature. The sound of its rattle was much more rapid and higher pitched than I expected. Had I not seen the snake when I heard its rattle I probably would have written it off as a noisy grasshopper rapidly clicking its wings as it flew.
I shutter to think of what would have happened had I taken the next step without seeing the snake. Be careful out there as spring and summer advance. Some of nature's critters can be harmful to your health if you don't give them the space they need. I should have been paying attention to the trail and not the camera while moving. That's kind of like texting and driving--not wise. I hope it is a good reminder for us as we explore fields, rivers, trails, etc. in our search for birds over the coming months.
Here are images of the snake that became a part of that particular bird outing:
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| Great Basin Rattlesnake at Grove Creek Canyon in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Great Basin Rattlesnake at Grove Creek Canyon in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Great Basin Rattlesnake at Grove Creek Canyon in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Tail of Great Basin Rattlesnake at Grove Creek Canyon in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Great Basin Rattlesnake at Grove Creek Canyon in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Great Basin Rattlesnake at Grove Creek Canyon in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
This is a birding blog so here are some of my favorite hummingbird images to qualify this an actual birding post. It's a sort of prelude to a new season of Hummingbirds for those of us living a little farther north. One of my goals this year is to get some fun action shots of hummers, especially species not included in these images. I welcome input on the IDs if you feel I've confused some, especially female species that can appear similar (e.g. Broad-tailed and Rufous).
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| Male Rufous Hummingbird at Lava Point Campground in Washington County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird in Tabiona, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
The following image helped me confidently identify my lifer Calliope Hummingbird. It was mixed with Broad-tailed and Black-chinned Hummingbirds in the mountains above Utah County. It's not the unmistakable adult male Calliope, but what I like about the image is being able to see some of the conclusive identifiers for a juvenile/female Calliope: Short, thin bill; thin white line over gape; wingtips reaching right at/just beyond tip of tail; and, those distinctive little peanut shaped central tail feathers. This image was captured in August so that is why I am not sure if it is an male or female, but my best guess is adult female.
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| (My Lifer) Female/Juvenile Calliope Hummingbird Along Timpooneke Trail in Utah County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird in American Fork Canyon Utah County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Male Rufous Hummingbird in American Fork Canyon Utah County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
I was also able to capture an image of my first adult male Calliope Hummingbird during a trip to the small town of Tabiona, Utah. The lighting wasn't ideal, but I enjoyed seeing and photographing the dintinctly streaked gorget displayed by the adult male Calliope.
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| Male Calliope Hummingbird in Tabiona, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Male Calliope Hummingbird in Tabiona, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Male Calliope Hummingbird Tabiona, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Female Broad-tailed Hummingbird in American Fork Canyon Utah County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| The Tail of a Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird in American Fork Canyon Utah County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Broad-tailed Hummingbird at Grove Creek Canyon Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird American Fork Canyon Utah County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Male Rufous Hummingbird in Tabiona, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Female Anna's Hummingbird Chandler, AZ (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Subadult Male Rufous Hummingbird Tonaquint Park St. George, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird Lexington, KY (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Subadult Male Black-chinned Hummingbird Tonaquint Park St. George, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird Lexington, KY (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Female Rufous Hummingbird Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird in Tabiona, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Male Rufous Hummingbird at Lava Point Campground in Washington County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Male Rufous Hummingbird at Lava Point Campground in Washington County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
I've labeled the following as female Broad-tailed, but it does seem to have some rufous above the eye so I'd love to know if anyone thinks this one may be a female Broad-tailed.
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| Female Broad-tailed Hummingbird American Fork Canyon Utah County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Male Rufous Hummingbird Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Male Black-chinned Hummingbird at Tonaquint Park St. George, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Subadult Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird at Tonaquint Park St. George, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
I'd say that posts keeping birds alive count as birding posts! I had a similar experience at the end of a day of fieldwork in AZ years ago - was rushing to finish up the last site near sunset and nearly stepped on a rattlesnake. My fellow wasn't as indolent as yours - fortunately I had one last surge of adrenaline and I sprung backwards in response to his rattle.
ReplyDeleteWow! That's a call way too close! I'm glad you survived that one.
DeleteA great collection of hummingbird images, Jeff.
ReplyDeleteWe should all be aware of the potential for dangerous snakes while we're in the field. I once stepped over a small sagebrush up by Coalville that had a rattlesnake coiled up within the plant near the top. If it hadn't been torpid from the cool of the morning I'm sure I'd have been bitten. It was an experience that I won't forget.
Thanks, Ron. I love your work! Thank goodness for cold mornings in the desert at a time like that.
DeleteThose Hummingbird images are out of this world Jeff, and plenty of great in-flight shots too.
ReplyDeleteThey made me forget all about the crippling fear of rattlesnakes : )
You are too kind, Laurence. I'd love to see some of your recent hummingbirds. It's my goal to get down to southeast AZ during one of my Arizona trips. I need to figure out how to convince my non-birding family members to make the drive and then watch me act like a kid in a candy store.
Deleteawesome hummingbirds
ReplyDeleteThank, Adam. We have some locations in Utah where we can get nice views of our regular hummingbirds.
DeleteFantastic shots!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Montanagirl! I hope your getting some new birds where you are.
DeleteAmazing photos of the wonderful hummingbirds! I cant imagine that there are such beautiful birds in real :) And the snake!! what a luck you didnt step on it...but you manage to get really great photos though.
ReplyDeleteThank you,Fjallripan! I bet you have some birds in Sweden that would be lovely to see.
DeleteSpectacular shots of the hummers. I'm awestruck!
ReplyDeleteLouisiana sounds like a great place for some great birds! I enjoyed visiting your blog. Thanks for your kind remarks.
DeleteSo many different Hummingbirds and all perfectly beautiful. Your photos of these little beauties are wonderful! Glad you saw the snake in time.
ReplyDeleteI visited your blog, mick, and it made me wish I was a birder when I made several business trips to Syndey and Brisbane a few years back. I missed some wonderful opportunities to see, photograph, and add some great birds to my life list. Unfortunately, the only ones I can actually remember by name were the Cockatoos and Kookaburras during a trip to the Blue Mountains. Thanks for your kind remarks.
DeleteWow!! What a fantastic post--beautiful. I love snakes and I love hummers...perfect!
ReplyDeleteI love snake, too, Kelly--as long as they are safe or at a safe distance :)
DeleteThanks for commenting.
I, too, almost stepped on a rattlesnake in a canyon here in AZ on International Migratory bird day in May a few years back. I thought I was keeping my eyes on the trail and tried to stay in the open areas of the wash, but since I WAS looking for birds, I did keep looking up at bushes, trees and sky. I heard the rattle before I saw the snake and instinctively jumped backwards before I located it. for moths afterwards i would jump whenever I heard seeds rattle in a pod or an insect like you mentioned. the real sound is so different from what one hears in a Hollywood movie! I don't go into the canyon washes at this time of year anymore. I save that sort of hiking for winter! Oh, and great hummingbird shots! Love the male calliope! I have only seen the female.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad your instincts kept you safe, Kathy. I can't wait to visit Arizona this spring to do some birding.
DeleteHello
ReplyDeletequeste tue foto sono grandiose.... amo molto il Colibrì in tutti i suoi colori.
E' un uccello così piccolo e delicato... di una bellezza disarmante.
Bravissima in queste sequenze di foto.
Buona giornata.
By Myriam :))
I don't speak or read Italian, but I do understand some of your message from studying Spanish. Thank you for your kind remarks, ROS.
DeleteFlying gems! Watch out for this rattlers!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting and sharing such nice feedback. Enjoy the outdoors!
DeleteJeff, you feature a wonderful variety of beautiful hummingbirds in this post. Superb photographs of these tiny creatures! A great reminder to always be aware of your surroundings when out birding.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Julie. Is spring migration bringing new birds to your neighborhood?
DeleteThey are indeed "winged jewels!" Lovely. And the snake is lovely too, from a distance.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the distance caveat, Karen, when it comes to nature that can turn on you without warning. Thanks for sharing.
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