Birds and Nature

[POST NOTE: I have requested and received feedback from several members of the Texbird listserve, including those with considerable experience and expertise, that all agreed this is not an Ann's Hummingbird. They all also agreed that it is, or it is suggestive of, a Black-chinned Hummingbird.] Not the best pics but these may provide more clues for an identification. Double-click on each pic for enlarged views. SeEtta

[POST NOTE: I have requested and received feedback from several members of the Texbird listserve, including those with considerable experience and expertise, that all agreed this is not an Ann's Hummingbird. They all also agreed that it is, or it is suggestive of, a Black-chinned Hummingbird.] This clip provides a good and close view of the hummingbird's back. SeEtta

[POST NOTE: I have requested and received feedback from several members of the Texbird listserve, including those with considerable experience and expertise, that all agreed this is not an Ann's Hummingbird. They all also agreed that it is, or it is suggestive of, a Black-chinned Hummingbird.] Though this hummingbird holds it's tail still at times, at other times it pumps it as is shown in this clip. There are groups of feathers with color (that is not clear in this clip) on it's whitish breast that can be readily viewed when the video is stopped briefly. SeEtta

[[POST NOTE: I have requested and received feedback from several members of the Texbird listserve, including those with considerable experience and expertise, that all agreed this is not an Ann's Hummingbird. They all also agreed that it is, or it is suggestive of, a Black-chinned Hummingbird.] I videotaped this female/immature hummingbird in the Bentsen Palm RV Park in Mission,TX feeding in the same coral bean tree as the Black-vented Oriole (and while that rare vagrant was off somewhere else). Another birder said he believed this was an immature Anna's Hummingbird which would also be fairly rare for this area in the winter. Unfortunately I have very limited experience with Anna's Hummingbirds, including none with females and immatures. This bird looks more like a immature Black-chinned but I thought I should put this and more video clips up for feedback by those familiar with Anna's. SeEtta

The top pic shows almost all of the field marks for this stunning bird: black tail including vent area; black hood, wings and back; yellowish orange underparts. It's yellowish orange lower back is not visible. The bottom pic shows a trailer that was parked in the Bentsen Palm Village RV Park where this bird has been foraging in their coral bean trees. Birders are fortunate that park management was agreeable to allowing access to view the bird with reasonable limitations. For those not familiar with the Bentsen Palm Village RV Park , it is located only a few hundred feet from Bentsen State Park, one of the true birding hotspots in the very birdy Rio Grande Valley. Not only were Park management accommodating to birders but the rv'ers staying in this beautiful park were very friendly and helpful. Any birders planning to take their RV to the Rio Grande Valley might want to check out the website for this first rate RV park. SeEtta