I had a couple fun close encounters with some birds this year. In Estes Park, Colorado this August, we were surprised to see many hummingbirds that were getting ready to migrate south.
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
One patient lady sat in the grass holding a flower, and a hummingbird enjoyed feeding from it.
As a very young boy, I remember visiting a lady’s house near the beach who left her front door open, and Florida Scrub-Jays would fly in to get the food she left out. That Jay is endemic to Florida and is on the Endangered Species list as its habitat shrinks. It has recovered somewhat.
We were visited by its cousin the California Scrub-Jay while hiking in Utah this month.
California Scrub-Jay
We were having PB&Js while soaking up the sun on the Petrified Sand Dunes in Snow Canyon State Park. That interested the Jays. While they wouldn’t eat out of my hand, they would come close by to find some bread.
