Several hundred people from Northern California, Arizona, and elsewhere have staked up a peaceful Glendora neighborhood for two weeks.
They have binoculars, telephoto lenses, and one goal: to find “BB.” This elusive broad-billed hummingbird lives in Kristin Joseph's flower-filled front yard, according to birders.
He might not be as impressive as the snowy owl that strayed off course and nested in north Orange County in January 2023, captivating people for weeks.
BB's small, fast-flying hummingbirds are only found in Mexico and southern Arizona canyons and forests, not Glendora, making them difficult for local birders to see.
In Montecito Heights, Audubon Center at Debs Park director Evelyn Serrano remarked, “This is one that you don't typically get to see in our area.
Since replacing their parched lawn with drought-tolerant native flora, she claimed they've had a continuous stream of new visitors. BB is their most renowned guest.
“We have many new butterfly species. I hadn't seen grasshoppers in years. I had praying mantises for the first time, Joseph stated. “And I have a plethora of birds in my yard all day.”
This broad-billed hummingbird perches in a Palo Verde tree at Kristin Joseph's Glendora house on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. Its red beak is one of its identifiers.
Joseph replaced her grass with native and drought-tolerant plants using municipal rebates, and her new garden attracted local birds, hummingbirds, bees, and other pollinators.