though this can be seen on some adult Hummers when they 1st arrive on the breeding grounds in the spring.
"Click" on any image for a larger photo...
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An adult male (photographed July 6) & adult female (photographed June 28)
A pair of young female(?) Hummingbirds, on left photographed Sept. 07, right Sept 11
Young Hummers usually start arriving at my flowers & feeders in Essex, MA in late July, staying through mid September.
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Note the "buffy" edges to the very fresh head and back feathers, smaller bill and overall neat & clean appearance.
Another pair of young Hummers, with an apparent female on left photographed Aug. 9 and the male on the right Aug. 17
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Again note the "buffy" edges to the head and back feathers, smaller bill and overall neat & clean appearance.
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This young male (?) appears to be just out of the nest as the
very buffy, freshly molted, head and back feathers
indicate. The "white" on the top of it's head is pollen from visiting the many flowers in the yard. It takes young Hummers a while to figure out what a feeder is for so flowers are a better draw for them to your yard. Until a red gorget feather or two comes in on the throat it's
near impossible to tell the males from females, though the
pointed feathers on the tail of this youngster indicates Photographed July 12, 2010 |
A pair of adults showing heavy molt prior to beginning migration. Both the female (left) & the male (right) were photographed Aug. 9
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All photos © Phil Brown 2010
