An 80-year-old bird photographer in the United States has documented over 600 different species of birds with her camera. Recently, she had the fortunate encounter of capturing a non-native rainbow-hued hummingbird in the front yard of a home in Glendora, Los Angeles County, California, and took a series of beautiful and precious photos.
Lynzie Flynn resides in the Playa Vista community in West Los Angeles, and her bird watching journey began in March 2020 as a pastime activity during the lockdown period due to the pandemic.
Like many bird enthusiasts in the United States, she subscribed to the “Rare Bird Alerts” service offered by the global online database eBird, a popular application created by the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology.
Earlier this year, Lynzie received a notification that a rare juvenile broad-billed hummingbird was spotted in the front yard of local nature lover Kristin Joseph in Glendora. Intrigued, she decided to pay a visit.
“I walked straight there after getting out of the car, and around 10 seconds later, the bird appeared,” Lynzie told The Epoch Times. “Joseph’s yard is surrounded by a privacy wall and full of native drought-resistant California plants. They had installed multiple feeders, attracting various bird species. This hummingbird was darting among different plants near the privacy wall.”
“Most hummingbirds have thin and pointed beaks, but this hummingbird had a very wide beak, with a rare light purple-red underside, making it already beautiful. Its green and blue plumage was vibrant, radiating rainbow-like colors even without sunlight,” she added.
According to Lynzie, this rare broad-billed hummingbird “doesn’t belong to our community.”
Broad-billed hummingbirds are more common in Mexico and Arizona, and despite frequent visits to Arizona in hopes of encountering these beautiful creatures, Lynzie hadn’t been successful until now.
“I kept clicking the shutter over and over as if I could never have enough,” Lynzie said. A few days later, she returned to capture more photos and shared her best shots on Facebook.
Her post quickly went viral online. Her favorite was a perfectly timed photo of the hummingbird hovering near a salvia x jamensis (commonly known as “Hot Lips”) plant.
The homeowner, Kristin, first noticed this little broad-billed hummingbird because of its unique chirping. She told the local media, the Daily Bulletin, that she and her husband had spent years carefully cultivating various native plants in their yard to attract more pollinators. However, the hummingbird, affectionately known as “BB” by local birdwatchers, was the most exotic guest they had ever welcomed.
Retired for many years, Lynzie has nearly 60 years of photography experience, initially starting with street photography but now focusing on bird photography.
“The beauty of bird photography lies in the fact that every day presents a new challenge,” she shared with The Epoch Times. “In this journey, I constantly need to learn and improve, as encountering new bird species means you must spend time identifying them accurately.”
Despite being 80 years old, Lynzie remains spirited and claims her “mentality and physical strength are no less than that of a young person.” She walks six miles (9.6 kilometers) a day with her camera, often traversing challenging terrains, stating she would “spare no effort to capture that bird she envisions.”
For aspiring bird enthusiasts, she advises, “Grab a pair of binoculars, take along a booklet introducing local bird species, step into your backyard or nearby park, and observe them quietly. You will be fascinated by these beautiful birds!”
Enjoy more of Lynzie’s stunning photographs she captured.
Editor: Han Yu#