This time I was ready

We spent a day in Patagonia recently, a small town about 90 km. south of Tucson. We actually spent several days there over the 2+ weeks we were in the area because it's kind of an artsy community and chock-a-block with people of our vintage and, apparently, interests.


It's also the town where, walking on the town common with the dog, we spied our first ever vermilion flycatcher and I didn't have my camera with me.


This time, I was prepared. And, bonus, Mr. T spied a place on our little schematic map called Paton's Hummingbirds. We thought that was a clue there might just be a few other interesting and gorgeous specimens to spy on and photograph.


Not to bore you with the details, here are a few of the photos I managed to get....

The elusive vermilion flycatcher                                         

And again

Pyrrhuloxia. Kind of looks like a composite of leftover parts                                  

Northern flicker

They're shameless and will eat anything                                                    

Finches

Also shameless, they chase off their own relatives from the trough                                                                                                  

Broad-billed hummingbird

White-headed nuthatch

Gambel's quail

No idea -- maybe someone can tell me                                      

Violet-crowned hummingbird                           

All in all, we spent a few hours watching these amazing critters and learning something about them from some very knowledgeable birders who were also hanging out there. 


I would really have loved to have had a lens with a longer focal length to get more close-up shots. So if you hear of, say, a 500 mm. going cheap, I hope I'm the first to hear about it.