New Hummingbird Neighbors

My parents gave Erin and I a hummingbird feeder for Christmas last year. We didn't have a secure place to hang it in Tucson, but at our new house here in Glendale, we found a good spot. I'm no ornithologist, but, judging by their coloration, I think they're broad-tailed hummingbirds. I could be wrong, though, because broad-tailed hummingbirds' primary habitats are mountains and forests, not desert. But, hey, with all the stupid lawns and imported trees, Glendale sure doesn't resemble the desert. If we don't have to respect the integrity of our natural desert environment, why should hummingbirds stick to the rules?

There are two hummingbirds that hang out by a feeder, a male and a female. I'm assuming they're a pair. Male hummingbirds are territorial and these two are quite chummy, though they seem to enjoy chasing each other from pine trees to palm trees and back the feeder. 


You can see the rest of my hummingbird shots here on our Flickr page. They weren't very wary of me and were pretty obliging for their early morning photo shoot. Still, I didn't get too close or stay too long. I'd rather see the real birds than look at a nice picture. That being said, I think I got some OK shots, though nothing as nice as this one of a female ruby-throated hummingbird that Erin took at the Worcester Audubon Society a few years back. One final note, if I incorrectly identified these hummingbirds, e-mail me or set me straight in the comments.