mortenross

Colorful morning

Fire-tailed sunbird (Aethopyga ignicauda)

Thrumshing La Pass, Bhutan

Driving ever higher, seeing more and more frost from last night,...
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Fire-tailed sunbird (Aethopyga ignicauda)

Thrumshing La Pass, Bhutan

Driving ever higher, seeing more and more frost from last night, together with larger and larger patches of snow, one might not expect to see such lavishly colored birds. At least not so small – which means there must be lots of nectar producing plants up here to provide sufficient energy to stay in shape. And what amazing flowers they feed from! This is the time of the rhododendrons – a time of plenty for the sunbirds and other nectar-loving species.

I know firsthand how incredibly sweet at least one species taste – the rhododendrum arboretum – and what is a really nice drop for me is a big chunk of energy for a sunbird!

With the sun barely above the horizon, this fiery-colored bird was a mini-sunrise of its own against the dark mountainside!
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