Selasphorus sasin

A grainy capture, but a very exciting bird! This is Allen's Hummingbird, a species that breeds only along the California and Oregon coast. We had several of them on our catch-all "Mulligan Monday" field trip for Godwit Days. Allen's strongly resembles the more wide-ranging Rufous Hummingbird. They have such similar vocalizations and coloration that they are often too difficult to distinguish in the field. Best to have the bird in hand, where you can, for instance, measure the width of the outermost tail feather--a much more reliable distinguishing characteristic. Luckily for me the trip was led by one of the best birders in the county, someone who knows these birds, their habits, and their schedules so well that he can tell who's who. By chance this one (at the Blue Lake Fish Hatchery) spread its wings just as I went to capture proof of the sighting--it's a Lifer for me.