Sunday, November 14, 2010

2010's bird # 600: Violet-headed Hummingbird

Yesterday I visited Cerro Azul (foothills to the east of Panama City) with Itzel Fong and Osvaldo Quintero. We simply wanted to enjoy some easy birding at the foothills, but I also had in mind to find my year-bird # 600 since I was only one bird away of my goal (I'm participating in Panama's 600 Club). Once I got out of the car, I started to search. Soon, my desired bird appear, in the form of a beautiful male Violet-headed Hummingbird feeding at the little flowers of the garden at Birder's View (thanks Rosabel).
Despite it is a common hummer, it was new because it was my first time at Cerro Azul this year (despite it is only a 45-minutes drive from the city). In fact, all the other new year-birds of the day were common species at this site (five in total, three were hummingbirds). We saw at least two different individuals. These hummingbirds liked the little, tubular flowers growing wild in the garden, never visiting the hummingbird feeders frequented by many other species. Notice that all the flowers in these pictures are similar, except by its color.
This male perched frequently no far away of the flowers, sometimes singing incessantly its insignificant song. It was so nice to have this little guy as my year-bird # 600!
This post was submitted to Bird Photography Weekly # 116. Check it out!

10 comments:

  1. 600 birds! Wow...congratulations, and what a sweet little bird to meet your challenge with! Lovely photos...

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  2. That's a very beautiful bird. Congrats on 600 birds - so far this year!

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  3. Felicidades on reaching #600 for the year- quite an accomplishment. I am hoping to get there for this year in Costa Rica.

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  4. Congrats on the 600 birds. It seems that it was a very beautiful hummingbird that became your 600th.
    thanks

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  5. Cool hummingbird- we don't get those this far north.

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  6. Thank you guys! I'm very happy to have this precious jewel as my 600th bird of the year in Panama!

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  7. The violet-headed Hummingbird is gorgeous. 600 birds so far for the year is an incredible feat! Well done Jan, and there is still a month and a half to go!

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  8. great to see them. I will soon be able to see some of them in real life. :)

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  9. This little guy is just beautiful. I would be so excited to see one. Congratulations on making your (very ambitious) goal.

    Kat

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  10. @ Larry, Kat: Some participants of the 600 Club in Panama are over 750 birds for the year... and still counting (yes, I'm talking about you two Ken and Kilo!)
    @ NatureFootstep: are you coming to the tropics? Good luck then!

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