I went for a short walk in the Bodega Dunes today (11 February 2020) and spent a few minutes watching an Allen's Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin).
Here are a few different images, including a couple of shots with some willow buds and flowers for scale:
Signs of spring in Bodega Bay!
P.S. I was curious about the Latin name, and learned that both the genus and species names are interesting. "Selasphorus" means "bearing brightness." According to the Birds of North America, "sasin" means "hummingbird" in Nuu-chah-nulth, the language of First Nations peoples around Nootka Sound.
Oooo! Thanks for doin a little sleuthing! Fun to find out the root of
ReplyDeletethese odd words! Superb photos too. Happy spring for sure!
Awesome. I was looking for this information. Interestingly though is that it comes from the indigenous peoples of Vancouver, yet the range maps for this species only show it as far north as southern Oregon.
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