Anna's Hummingbird

Gentle day's flower
The hummingbird competes
With the stillness of the air

-Chogyam Trungpa


Last Thursday, we took a drive down south to Pacific Grove, and spend the day along the 17 Mile Drive. We visited all our favorite stops along the way, and had a picnic lunch at Bird Rock. Afterwards, we continued along to the Lone Cypress, and then finally, Pebble Beach. We usually stop in at the Pebble Beach market for an afternoon treat of fresh fruit or cheese, but lately we have been forgoing the late afternoon indulgences. It's better for my diabetes if I try not to snack between meals, and truthfully I wasn't particularly hungry, so we just stopped for a little while to enjoy the ocean, and the grounds of the Pebble Beach Golf Course.

While we were there, we found the most beautiful bush of purple flowers, which seemed to be the favorite afternoon snack of some gorgeous hummingbirds. I was amazed at how beautiful they were as the sun caught their colors, as they moved in and out of the flowers. My Audubon bird guide, lists them as "Anna's Hummingbirds." I don't remember seeing that variety up in the Bay Area. I will have to do some additional reading to see if they are mainly found along the central coast of California. I will be heading to the Pacific Grove either later this month or early next month to visit the Monarch grove, so hopefully I will get a chance to study them a little closer. :) They were fascinating to watch, as well as photograph, but then again, any new bird that I get to discover with my camera, always becomes my new favorite. :)

-OndineMonet
"Anna's Hummingbird"
Pebble Beach Golf Course
Pacific Grove, California
October 11th, 2007
Afternoon