Before deserting the Santa Rita Lodge at Madera Canyon for Sierra Vista today, I doddered around the birdie feeders. So I thought I'd post the pics I'd neglected to post earlier in the week (for those who sadly, think I post all this while I'm actually out of town, ahem!).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8P-2yAajFgPs6OWk18061TlPTil0Kppofk_-D3a6g-7062sxJuyi6KJPowlDToBhJGiZjNj_0NWPOrGxahCrKxrRvHn4FwQ1GyE2J62zec_UfID_FJXR-PCzx_G3FuhT1oP9NA/s640/VABU.JPG) |
A highlight of the week, a parti-colored species, the Varied Bunting |
It was interesting - to me anyway - that last year's buntings were all lazuli Buntings, but this year there were no Lazuli's, only Varied Buntings. A little sad here, as when I watched a several buntings bouncing around in a wood pile at the bottom of the slope in front of me, I neglected to point them out to any of the other birders. By the time I thought to, the buntings had bounced.
That, I can assure you, is the height of bad birding manners. I must beg forgiveness."Audubon, Peterson & other legendary birders in the great beyond, I have sinned..."
A variety of species came in to nab bits of orange & suet from the pole feeder.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgT-aDK64RuP0rJmXEuR27m20fGalaIIqJQ0OUypG6xscZYmkWRSJ1Pp4li2oFKYRGZ5tGJZdnSAH1H1hz8iNpXa_FmxSI9JQ5aEmbi9RI2ngW0mZzUU4LN4u1LDqicvc2D7FmGA/s640/Black-headed+Grosbeak+-+male.JPG) |
Black-headed Grosbeak, ho hum for me, but not from birders visiting from east of the Mississippi. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKCjTWOFontBOldPM05jsDPuNnZuW2cWdWY1pLVnCJhIlEx-HzGIss5DPzD9MkOF-_LyXydp3-15V7o4f_1-tbW4Kqi_YB3NLdqTBg3X-5weaGoiWl92a_0MxeLIirKSNUy5X7ag/s640/Bridled+Titmouse.JPG) |
A bold little Bridled Titmouse |
One bird that had me all excited when I first saw it was this female mumble, mumble Oriole.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFwPAp63xjNJ9LHXDb4Ly2m-5RUDewg_XJJK_PbbPrJld2cBvm_C70kiGfGzAhNNU62hwgkKA6YNfE7bLLMm82jodjuXZD9xUWHcF-7HlJXn4CPubVXgG1-xFxzTgJ54LhAkRiJA/s640/oriole.JPG) |
Female... uh.. there's a blackish bib... but a Scott's? |
I so wanted a Scott's Oriole to fly in, a male one, that is. That'd be a lifer bird for me. But only this female what's it showed up. I mean, this girlie has a v. gray head but I dunnon... she could just as likely be a Hooded Oriole. Why oh why didn't she bring along her better half? *heavy sigh*
And on to more cooperative birds, such as Blue Grosbeaks.
There are Blue Grosbeaks in California, but often as not I don't see more than one or two per year. Here in Arizona though, the things are practically a plague. Have seen more this week than in all previous years of my entire life. A half dozen at a time is no big deal in Arizona.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6T4faeNwEmK790dhJYDqYTfofVAnjDLSbaLPbu03DfXoAfjKL9m668vpsnsUX5uePz2dwoLCQ5ANXeUm-7zpqtPlLxAdY-WBaXOBJKMylhSv7KK6Sg7yAo8Gjz6rAf4zp3tUJlA/s640/Blue+Grosbeak+on+dock.JPG) |
Male Blue Grosbeak |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFW1r2D9JzKc9NL2iWaQMMdwsd7ivxryZTpg_KK1GNtXlhORlQCEDW8MuWDMe_BGLbopNq_QVw6bY0mz-CwC2qpcisJIzT0u4TeITRUdtYpJULc8jsi7x2TOvXHCRih5X4AITzA/s640/Varied+Bunting+female.JPG) |
A female Blue Grosbeak, altogether llooking like a different species than her mate |
Oh, and here's a Magnificent Hummingbird. What a name, Magnificent Hummingbird. Not Better-than-average Hummingbird or pretty-fancy-for-a-U.S.-Hummingbird, just Magnificent.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvXQQD_sYVg4wP_y588IY596wO89JtyBK31snpIsYlBJWePkNujCXLIuiQVpHNE0-8Cy2ET2Y5FmOCiyZBJOlzzgTWG4paiXGvWvtebYfyLz6uqb51vo5s4KBo2cO4MLz7S-DiQ/s640/IMG_7220.JPG) |
Magnificent 'Better-than-average' Hummingbird |
Oh, and while on the topic of Better-than-average Hummers, I inadvertently got a series of shots that told a bit of a story about bullying and come-up-pence. It started with a female Broad-billed Hummer, minding her own business, sipping nectar.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOP_K2mQwTHLGJ7EQ4SSyUQmRZc24wQcRWaczTQMa6VQ9ybV6kKIyHwGpc0pkTxVvBevASr_oWy9rqvyPCFPqyCDGoQ7Muk1O7jjtwjJIesla-7vCBI9faisS9_nuI8nXjILqjxw/s640/IMG_7484.JPG) |
Minding her business when along came a bully - a male Magnificent |
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He kept dive-bombing the little female, over and over again |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFrIWxhd55MJbMSwlz6m2U-2h9jH3fTrZIQGPYoPZoWGzx86YcGfdIrwfCXRI7MOUj8D8lCFWbnHKszTWZLFyxbgaSUPOQYqqXJL_4YHNCz0kTi9MgjOOKmx8hFO3PK1F2KvOaVw/s640/IMG_7486.JPG) |
The b*stard took over the little girlie's place at the feeder |
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But too quick for my camera, the little girl chased the big jerk from HER perch Doesn't the Magnificent look surprised at her moxie? |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEievDnoeZaURDdV1lp1d3uDHtubugxvrxIpiZmP_RVCAXWZKsVEHL-arbRp7WDIyYojVn1JyHE39gj-1-0ShyphenhyphenWCHjSIv3pFHAKgDeClJcHtiTvhyPf91fTMpEkjFfWl4fq25wr-WQ/s640/IMG_7489.JPG) |
The Magnificent, its purple & turquoise caught the sun as it skedaddled |
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Lesser Nighthawk in the ebbing light |
It was a nice few days at Madera Canyon. Every day ending with driving to the bottom of the canyon. There I lazily watched Lesser Nighthawks patrol their territory, gulping down insects on the wing as daylight faded.