Almost exactly twenty-four years ago I was bird watching in Miesville Ravine County Park, in the southeast corner of Dakota county. In a beautiful little wet meadow up trout brook I found a hummingbird feeding on the jewelweed that did not look like the expected Ruby-throated Hummingbird. After a couple of days of checking the internet, I identified it as a female Black-chinned Hummingbird. The females of these closely related species are difficult to separate. And, it had never been reported in Minnesota. I didn't have a camera and without a photo, it would never be accepted as a new species. Although the hummer was around for the next five days, I could not get anyone down there with a camera until after the bird had flown off. One dean of the state birding community even stated that it was impossible to separate the females of the two species. Every year at this time, I lead a bird hike to Miesville Ravine. This year on August 20th, there was more spotted jewelweed flowering than I have seen in years and the flowers were attracting a swarm of hummingbirds. As we approached that meadow, I was talking about finding the hummingbird that has never had an accepted sighting in Minnesota. As I explained what to look for to find a Black-chinned: a hummer with a light crown that makes it appear as if it has a black mask, Richard Gotz was clicking away on his camera at a nearby hummer. He said, "Like this?" I have attached a couple of his photos of a first year male Black-chinned Hummingbird to my Facebook page and am hoping to be able to post one to MOU's Recently Seen page, although I have to get it added to the list before I can. Now I have to fill out the paperwork to submit the sighting for MOURC review for a first Minnesota record. Steve Weston On Quigley Lake in Eagan, MN swesto...@gmail.com
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