Magnificent Hummingbird in Louisiana!

Eugenes fulgens

On 11/26/2004, I had the good fortune to see and photograph the first ever Magnificent hummingbird to be discovered in Louisiana. This makes the 12th species of hummingbird to have been seen in Louisiana. I have many people to thank for this wonderful opportunity. First of all the homeowners who were very gracious to open their house to me even though they wish to remain anonymous. Many thanks to Linda Beall who acted as intermediary between the homeowners and myself and gave me valuable information about the site so I could be better prepared. Thanks to Tom Sylvest for keeping me informed of discoveries such as this and for giving Linda and the homeowners a glowing recommendation of me. Lastly, thanks to my wife Candy who offered to work to give me the day off to make this trip.

My first sight of this bird was from a distance of only 2 feet as I was setting up my strobes. I couldn't reach the camera, so all I could do was stand still and enjoy the view! I was amazed at how large he was. He is an immature male just beginning to get some of his color, yet he is still beautiful. It would be fantastic to see him with all his adult feathers...metallic green gorget, purple crown, and nearly black belly.

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