Xantu's Hummingbird Nestlings - Todos Santos, Mexico

[Donkees]

Photos: Mike Liskay

Xantus's hummingbird is found from central Baja California south to the peninsula's tip. It has also been recorded as a vagrant twice in California and once in British Columbia. The species inhabits arid woodlands of scrub, oak, and pine-oak at elevations between 490 and 4,900 ft and also visits coastal desert, gardens, and feeders.

Xantus's hummingbird breeds between July and September or October in the northern part of its range and February to April in the south with a gradient between the areas. The nest is a cup of fine plant fibers, other plant materials, and small feathers bound with spiderweb and decorated with lichen and bark. It is usually suspended from the end of a thin branch within about 3 to 7 ft above the ground or often above water. The female incubates the clutch of two eggs for 15 to 16 days and fledging occurs about 22 days after hatch.

[RestoreAmerica2020]

1. Que bella pajaritos! Photos are just stunning, thanks for sharing. As an artist

..love to paint, sketch these little creatures. Had leased my home for 5 years, when I returned had to revive my rose garden which was totally neglected...took me as long to bring it back to life, added morning glories on trellis-- they [ other small birds tambien] love it! Last summer I lots of little visitors humming birds [finches, butterflies ..] so I'd go out and sketch, paint--mt phone camera is really bad so had to rely on plein-air ..on the spot drawing, pastels to catch them in flight, perched on a branch..their luminescence is alluring.

so I'm here sipping my second cup of cafe..just waiting for winter to end and eagerly awaiting spring so can get outside and start working..perhaps add more flowers to entice them to visit, linger maybe add some water features. I'll have to wait for them migrate.

Ay I should be migrating South of the border where it's warm-- was actually looking at cruise to Baja CA, Cabo to escape this cold that pieres to the bone. While New Mexico has more sunny days than most areas in U.S. it is deceptive bc right now sun is out, clear skies and it's now 9° degrees with wind chill and wot be warming past 40 °today..it's a biting cold to the bone --sorry repeated that but damn it's frking freezing and the thought that I used to go out to work in the cold ..now I'm retired so can wait till it gets warmer to run errands.

Migratory birds have it right..are smarter certainly than.humans...of course they have open borders [ shhh don't let Rs here that they'll want to stop.that migration.] Ps never heard of Todos Santos-- will search ..give me something Todo while I wait for temps to increase above frking 🥶.

Paz