Greater Roadrunner

Keeping cool in a parking lot in Albuquerque.

Albuquerque Sunset

Albuquerque as seen from Sandia Peak last week. A storm rolled in and we were treated to a superb sunset capped off by a lightning storm.

Storm clouds drift past the mountains and release a torrent of rain.

The sunset crept below the clouds to immerse the mountains.

A closeup of the sun as it settles in behind the horizon.

To the east, darkness reigned, punctuated by bolts of lightning that set off local wildfires, many extinguished by the following rain.

Tinkertown Hummingbirds

Tinkertown is a place on the outskirts of Albuquerque that demands a visit from anyone interested in tinkering, the circus, craft, imagination, hand-painted signs, humor, and hummingbirds. I was stuck at the front door for twenty minutes because of the latter. Above, a Broad-tailed Hummingbird surveys the scene. (Fellow bird nerds, please correct my IDs in the comments if I'm off about any of these beauties.)

A closer look in profile.

A male Broad-tail dipping in for more while trying to avoid the hyper-aggressive Rufous Hummingbird chasing off all comers.

Eighty beats a second means those wings have to be light... so light they become transparent.

This bird seems to have had an encounter with feather mites... or, less likely, a dust-up with the Rufous on a particularly bad day.

The resident aggressor. A stunningly beautiful bird stakes his claim to the feeder.