As posted the other day, I have suspected Black-chinned Hummingbirds at Grandview Cemetery at the west terminus of Mountain Avenue in Fort Collins (Larimer) for the last couple weeks. This suspicion started with noticing construction of a nest in a Douglas-fir on 29June. I first saw a bird sitting on this nest 15July. The nest height above the ground and bulkier, whiter appearance led to my wondering about Black-chinned as much as the bird itself. In my experience every female hummingbird looks long-beaked if you look at it long enough. I posted pics of a bird seen near this nest and also frequenting silver maples on 21July (photo taken 20July). Feedback I received from several people (thank you) all said Archilochus genus for sure, and all but one concurred with Black-chinned (the exceptional comment just left it at Archilochus).
The picture here was taken yesterday (22July) with my cell phone thru the scope of the female on the nest. I now feel totally confidant in confirming the species and its nesting at Grandview Cemetery. This is overdue, I suppose, but is no less exciting. As stated, it is #201 for my cemetery list started in 1974.
Breeding Bird Atlas II reports this species as having multiple broods and I also now suspect the bird in the posted pic on 21July could well be an a young individual fledged this summer (throat whiter, bill shorter) and, thus, evidence of multiple brooding at the cemetery. So, basically we went from no sightings of this species to strongly believing they have nested twice at the site in the same summer in a matter of 3 days! Also proof of that birding is insanity (same thing over and over, expecting different results....................and getting them).
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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