I Shot It (Photographically) Trivia Quiz

Answer: Anna's

Anna's hummingbirds have a range that stretches from the southern portion of western Canada down to Baja California in Mexico. It also reaches into southern Arizona. Anna's are the only hummingbirds known to spend the winter in northern, colder climates and are able to do so if there is enough winter flowers and food to support them. They have adapted to be able to gain weight during the day to survive the cold of night.

One year a momma hummingbird decided to build a nest in one of the wind chimes on my back porch. It was fascinating watching her build the nest then lay two eggs. They both hatched and we watched as she fed them until they were big enough to fly off on their own. She would jam her beak deep down inside the baby to a point you thought for sure it was going to come out the other end.

The clue would refer to Anna Kournikova and the birds were not named after her.

Answer: Bobcat

The bobcat is the most common wildcat in Arizona but its range extends far beyond. The twelve recognized subspecies range from southern Canada to Northern Mexico and can be found throughout most of the continental United States. They are highly adaptable much like the coyote. Interestingly, in Native American religion the two are often linked in a type of duality where they represent opposites. As such they are associated with the dualist weather phenomenon of fog and wind.

This bobcat sauntered right by where we were staying at a bird sanctuary in Portal Arizona. You would think he was posing for pictures with how casual he was.

Answer: Magnificent

The magnificent hummingbird is rare to see in the United States. Its range barely touches the southern US and extends all the way down through Mexico and Central America to western Panama. The brilliant blue/green on the male's throat is a distinctive mark of the bird and only shows up when the light hits it just right. It is one of the larger hummingbirds averaging a size of 4.5 to 5.5 inches and weighing from 6 to 10 grams.

This picture was taken at a bird feeder at the bird sanctuary in Portal Arizona. The Suleiman clue was a reference to Suleiman the Magnificent.

Answer: Marmot

Marmots are quite common in the high elevations of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. The genus that encompasses marmots includes 15 species and subspecies spread throughout the mountainous regions of Europe, northwestern Asia, and North America and the Indian subcontinent.

Marmots can be an entertaining lot. They can be pretty boisterous with a high pitched bark when scared or intrigued. They are also very curious. I had one try to run off with my rock hammer one time that I had left on the ground. He picked it up by the rubber grip and tried to run off with it.

Answer: Black-chinned

The black-chinned hummingbird is one of the smaller species of hummingbirds. The purple around the male's neck is very vibrant. The black-chinned has a very long tongue with two grooves in it for collecting the nectar. It can lick between 13 and 17 times a second. They winter in Mexico and Central America and summer in the southwestern US.

This picture was taken off the deck of my parent's summer house where they have numerous hummingbird feeders. At times there can be ten to fifteen birds zooming around. They will even eat out of the feeder while you hold it in your hand. These are one of the more common hummingbirds that frequent the area.

Answer: False

The American black bear actually comes in a total of six different and distinct colors, although black is logically the predominant one. The other colors are chocolate, cinnamon, blonde, white, and bluish gray. The American black bear can be found in Canada, the US, and Mexico. It is North America's smallest bear with the Kodiak brown bear being the biggest and the polar bear being not much smaller.

This American black bear was spotted crossing a river with two cubs near the Hanging Flume in Colorado. She was only about thirty feet away but since we were on the other side of the river, she did not pay us much mind.

Answer: Calliope

The Calliope hummingbird is known for the male's distinctive red/pink neck plumage. It was named after the Greek muse Calliope, not the musical instrument. Both sexes are can be as small as 2.8 inches tall and weigh just 2 to 3 grams. They spend the summers in a range from southern British Columbia and Alberta in Canada to Colorado and southern California in the US. They migrate through Arizona and New Mexico to winter in southwestern Mexico, Guatemala and Belize.

This picture was taken at my parent's summer house in Colorado. It is rare to see these birds there.

Answer: Mountain goat

Mountain goats or Rocky Mountain goats are not related to wild goats at all. They belong to their own genus that has only the one species. Mountain goats are some of the most agile animals you will ever see in the high mountains of Colorado. They spend most of their time above the tree line (approx. 11,000 ft) and climb cliffs where you would think it impossible.

This picture is of a male mountain goat that we encountered upon reaching Corkscrew Pass while 4-wheeling in Colorado. He was atop one of the peaks on one side of the pass acting like he owned the place. When we stopped he came down to see what we were doing. At first I thought he was just curious and held out my hand to him when he was about fifteen feet away. He reared up and came at me like he was going to butt heads with me. Clearly we were trespassing on his property and he was none too happy about it.

Answer: Rufous

The rufous hummingbird is the most common and widespread species in the western half of the United States. It is a smaller hummingbird that is named after the color of the male's face, reddish-brown. In a 2005 study, Dr. Douglas Warrick of Oregon State University used digital imaging velocimitry of trained Rufous Hummingbirds to capture their hovering ability on film. The study determined it is the bird's downstroke that allows the hovering to take place.

At my parent's house in Colorado, Rufous Hummingbirds are the most territorial and they will dive-bomb the other hummingbirds when they come to eat from the feeders. It is amazing to watch the dance between the different birds as they all attempt to get their fare share of the sugar water.

Carlin's character in the movie was named Rufus.

Answer: Murder

A murder is a group of crows, not turkeys. Besides these three, a group of turkeys can also be called a crop, dole, posse, and raffle. The North American turkey actually got its name quite by accident. Guinea fowl imported to Britain from Madagascar in the 1500s went through Constantinople in present day Turkey and the name became applied to those birds. The name was then applied to the North American bird because it resembled the guinea fowl.

Most summers a flock or two of wild turkeys crosses our property in the high mountains of southern Colorado. They usually take their time and are quite entertaining. Some flocks have as many as thirty or more members.