Hummer Heights

 

Resting Hummingbird, Golden Gate Heights

Walking up the steep streets (and steeper stairways) of Forest Hill this morning I noticed cedar waxwings apparently feasting in a Cotoneaster franchetti bush (a different species than I photographed yesterday) despite its lack of berries. Interesting that even the flowers of this genus evidently provide food for the waxies.

I reached the highest point of my walk just as a red-tailed hawk swooped in and landed at the top of a cypress tree at Golden Gate Heights Park. On the other end of the size scale, several hummingbirds -- Anna's and Allen's -- were vying for supremacy over a large blackberry patch below the red-tail. 

I hadn't seen an Allen's hummingbird up there before, so I became a little engrossed in trying to photograph it. The tiny guy kept landing on branches with leaves blocking my view, then flying away just before I could finally find him through the telephoto lens and lock focus.

So we've had a hot Monday, a cold Tuesday, and a very windy Wednesday so far this week. The way the wind blows through the city, you can face headwinds while walking in just about any direction. At one point I even faced headwinds for half the block and tailwinds for the other half.

The cedar waxwings all flew away when I tried to get closer. The white-crowned sparrow immediately leaped up to claim the bush for himself.

Cotoneaster franchetti

Hairy Woodpecker at Golden Gate Heights Park

Red-tailed Hawk in Cypress Tree

This little hummer wasn't watching the hawk, but another hummer that was zipping around with territorial indignation.

Keeping track of it sometimes required a little contortion.

The Allen's hummingbird was being very shy, especially compared with the blasé Anna's hummers.

I thought he'd gotten used to me when he suddenly dove toward the ground and began making alarm calls. I looked around but didn't notice anything.

And then this guy flew right over our heads and landed in a nearby tree where he defecated before continuing on his way.

I hit the brakes when I passed this screeching hummingbird on the Bison Paddock fence. The backlight made him look so dark I thought it might be an unusual species.

Nope, I guess not. Just another colorful male Anna's hummer.

 A couple of Wilson's warblers were calling back-and-forth at North Lake. They are tiny birds and surprisingly hard to locate despite their bright color, and even when they seem to be calling from very nearby.

Hummers

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