Just a mid-week diversion.
Today has been one of those days where the best laid plans, etc. just conspired to steal away the time for writing tomorrows Post for Learning from Dogs (today at the time you are reading this!). So I was incredibly grateful to John H. for sending me an email with a series of remarkable photographs of a very rare albino Hummingbird.
A quick web search revealed that this has already been widely reported, for example in the edition of Huffington Post published on the 31st January last. Here’s what they wrote,
Stunning photographs of an extremely rare albino ruby-throated hummingbird have been captured in a backyard in Staunton, Va.
The astonishing images showcase the delicate bird’s features like white feathers, a pink bill, pink legs and red eyes.
and later in that article,
Located just 30 miles from the Shank family home, they first heard about the bird on an email list-serve for the bird community, Shank explained. After they got permission, they drove over to the residence where the bird was first spotted and began shooting photos.
Of the 330 hummingbird species found around the globe,the ruby-throated hummingbird is one of the most common in North America.
But experts say the fair-feathered variety are more easily visible to predators and susceptible to disease thanks to the genetic mutation. These weaknesses help make the albino bird all the more rare.
The still shots were taken by Kevin Shank and four of his sons who publish Nature Friend magazine. Here are some of those remarkable pictures.
Just beautiful. Thank you, John.
Learning from Dogs 
Paul,
Oh, my goodness, you have made my day, my thanks to you and John! So totally beautiful. I shall be forwarding this to my friend in England. We both so appreciate the beauty of the hummingbird. I had never seen an albino, it will be interesting to learn if my friend ever has.
Merci
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Dear Merci,
Thank you for that feedback. They are wonderful photographs, aren’t they! P.
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Ain’t nature grand! We have hummingbirds from June to September; they’re very bold and will land on the feeder as we’re filling it with sugar water. But I have never seen an albino, didn’t know they existed or could. Thanks for wonderful photos.
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Thanks Wen, and appreciate you continuing to drop in to LfD. P.
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Absolutely stunning…a meditation in every picture! Comforting and peace engendering at this particular week or month or W/E of my life!!! Many Thanks, dear friend!
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You are most welcome – see you soon, Paul
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Native Americans have long fortold of when the White buffalo would appear .. Now many species are being born white.. An interesting short vid of just how many and what kind are can be viewed here ~Sue
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What a charming beastie! — I wonder if it’s extinct yet? 😦
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My, you are going back in time! I wouldn’t have thought so. Would be quite easy to look up online.
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You’re right. According to this site, there were several sightings in 2019. And since it’s caused by a genetic mutation, it could crop up in any clutch of normal hummingbird eggs 🙂
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Fascinating, Mr. P! You know the scope and extent of Google’s (presumably Google) search facility is incredible!
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Isn’t it, just?
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I’ve just read about the increasing numbers of blue whales, see https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/antarctic-blue-whales-make-unprecedented-comeback , and the protection of the world’s largest sequoia forest, see https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/blogs/alder-creek-giant-sequoia-grove-save-redwoods-league , so a special day! Certainly makes a change!
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Thanks for linking those, Paul. Interesting reading!
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