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| Rufous hummingbird, Selasphorus rufus |
Spring has finally arrived in the mountains! This beautiful male rufous hummingbird has finally departed to the relief of our resident Anna's hummingbirds,
Calypte anna. It's no surprise that they are feisty when they arrive at a patch of flowers or nectar feeder during migration since they have one of the longest bird migration routes. Twice a year, these tiny birds travel from their wintering ground in Mexico to their breeding ground between the northwestern United States all the way up to Alaska which is close to 4,000 miles (Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2019).
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| Black-headed Grosbeak, Pheucticus melanocephalus |
This neotropical bird is another bird that arrives early for Spring. It is a treat to hear one sing at dawn. Some describe its song as an American robin,
Turdus migratorius, who has taken voice lessons.
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| Black-throated gray warbler, Setophaga nigrescens |
This is the first warbler that I have seen for the season. It will stay and breed in our mountains. If you don't look closely at its features, you may mistake it for our yearlong resident, the mountain chickadee,
Poecile gambeli.
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| Violet-green swallow, Tachycineta thalassina |
Check out the colors on this bird! In all the years that I have lived here, I have never seen the vibrant green and violet. Now, I understand why it has this name.
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| Lark sparrow, Chondestes grammacus |
Not all Spring arrivals are colorful. This sparrow doesn't have too far to travel from its wintering to breeding grounds. Despite lacking colors of the previous birds, I get super excited when I see and hear this cute little sparrow in Garner Valley where it nests.
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| Desert dandelion, Malacothrix californica |
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| Desert bluebell, Phacelia campanularia |
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| Yucca |
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| Variable checkerspot, Euhydryas chalcedona |
With the arrival of Spring, we also are lucky to experience the arrival of butterflies and blooming flowers. Spring is just beginning in the mountains. Each day brings something new to experience! Enjoy the season where ever you find yourself!
Photos and Content by Robin Roberts
Reference
Cornell Lab of Ornithology (2017). Rufous hummingbird. [Website]. Retrieved from
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Rufous_Hummingbird
