The Elusive Ruby-crowned Kinglet on the Tuolumne River

When I say "elusive", I don't mean rare. I see Ruby-crowned Kinglets (Regulus calendula) quite often when I hike the Tuolumne River Parkway Trail where the river flows from the Sierra Nevada foothills onto the floor of the Great Valley in Waterford. The elusiveness comes from the difficulty of actually catching the diminutive but very active bird on digital media. These little birds never stop moving. Ever. The moment I get the camera focused, the bird is already in the next bush.

It took me two days to get these two shots. I hiked the river twice in the last two days, and saw these birds (or single bird twice) in bushes about fifty yards from each other. The bird didn't seem too concerned about me, but it was hungry and stayed on the move. I finally got lucky when I started to anticipate where the bird would land next and had the camera focused on that spot. I think the picture above is my best so far (compare to my others here; you be the judge!). The one below was the best from my efforts yesterday.

In case it's not clear (and it isn't in these pictures), there are red/ruby colored feathers on the head of the males. They are usually folded down and not easily visible, except during the breeding season. The birds don't weigh even an ounce, and their eggs are also small...50 of them would add up to a single ounce. There will be up to a dozen eggs in a brood. Mama must be very tired...