The first time I saw hummingbird in person was 6 years ago at Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park: one early morning as I was sitting in front of the cabin we stayed, a bird swished down from the roof and flapping its wings right in front of me - a hummingbird! Just as quickly it flew away, so I had no chance to capture it on camera. I was memorized by this encounter and wished to see hummingbirds in person again. The next time I saw a hummingbird, was July 2019, when I visited Garden by the Bay at Singapore.
As we were about to take off for Mt Elbert, a friend shared photos of hummingbirds from her vacation at Colorado on Wechat Moment. To see hummingbirds, I changed the sightseeing for our stop at Walsenburg CO to beaver creek state wild life area, due to report of migrating hummingbird sightings there (and it was on the way to Mt. Elbert) .
In fact we saw no hummingbirds at Beaver Creek State Wildlife area. My first sighting of the hummingbird on this trip was at Mountain Aries Market by highway 9 when I went there to ask for next closest gas station since we were running out of gas. Hummingbirds came and went at the feeder hanging in the store front porch. I was eager to fill the tank to have time to watch and observe hummingbirds, took a couple of quick pictures and drove on.
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| A hummingbird at the feeder of Mountain Aries Market |
We had five days watching and observing black chinned hummingbird and ruby throated hummingbird: there were two feeders at front door of the inn. All hummingbirds preferred the one on the right hand side, which was a bit further away from entrance, even when the honey water in this feeder was nearly drained, and the other feeder was still near full! Bird's instinct for safety!
When the hummingbirds fly to the feeder, we could here that their flapping make a "metallic sound" before reaching the feeder. Some would stay in air, their natural position for drinking nectar, to drink the honey water from the feeder, others are urbanized, they would stand on the ring of the feeder to drink!
Typically there is only one hummingbird at the feeder, if one comes when there is another one there already, the more aggressive bird would chase the other away, sometimes they fight in air! But some could get along well, a friend took a picture of 4 hummingbirds sharing one feeder!
There are so many hummingbird feeders at Leadville, one can see hummingbirds anywhere if they can wait long enough time at a feeder.
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| This diligent drank from feeder from its natural position - in air |
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| Two hummingbirds fought for the territorial; they might confront each other in air! |
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| Black Chinned Hummingbird |
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| Coming in to the feeder |
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| feeding in air |
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| a hummingbird feeding on stand position |
Will the feeders domesticate the hummingbirds? Unlikely. There are so many more hummingbirds in the mountains than in towns. I wish to see them in the wild drinking flower nectar in air.
On June 30th, during our visits to twin lakes and turquoise lake, we hiked 1 mile from Mt Elbert south trail head, flowers everywhere, and we heard the "metallic sound" we heard at the inn. There are quite a few hummingbirds there, but we could see none. On the way back to trail head, Alerted by its flapping sound, I saw a humming bird flying to a flower by the trail, and drinking nectar from flowers!!
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Side notes: Photos from a friend
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| 4 hummingbirds sharing one feeder, Cuchara, CO |
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| A ruby throated hummingbird, Cuchara, CO |
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