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Purple King

Costa's Hummingbird. I listened for their signature high pitched whine and found this male displaying. As with many hummingbirds he had a high and low defense perch. I waited until he got onto his low perch and he was extremely tolerant, allowing me to approach within 5 feet (as has been my experience with other Costa's as well). I quietly setup at his perch and captured him resting in between catching insects. Anza Borrego is surrounded by high mountains to the west and this blocks the setting sun early, providing some nice diffused lighting that brought out the gorget. Was very happy with this pose and the image quality of the APS-C sensor.

Species: Costa's Hummingbird (Calypte costae)

Location: Anza Borrego Desert State Park, CA, USA

Equipment: Canon EOS R7 + RF 100-500mm IS

Settings: 1/200s, ISO: 1600, f/10 @800mm EFL, Handheld, Electronic Shutter

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Uploaded on April 25, 2023
Taken on April 22, 2023