By Tom Brown – Site Manager – Paton Center for Hummingbirds
It’s always a great day at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds! In fact, even when it is cold (Everyone knows I hate being cold!), even when it is raining, and yes, even when it is hot, I cherish every day that I get to spend here, one of Patagonia’s most popular locations to visit. When I started visiting here many years ago, it was for the birds, literally. Yeah, there was always hummingbirds as well as dozens of other species, but after a time it became more than that. There is a serenity, a tranquility to this location that is rarely found at a destination that sees so many visitors every day. Marion Paton is gone now, but her memory, and what she brought to this quaint little yard still lingers in those moments you get when you take the time to sit, watch and listen.
No story, short or long about the Paton Center for Hummingbirds would be complete without mentioning the star attraction, the hummingbird that I usually refer to as “Our Little Rock Star” the Violet-crowned Hummingbird. For over a decade, the Paton Center for Hummingbirds has been one of the most consistent locations for visitors from all over the year to come to see this stunning bird year-round. Using eBird.org, the earliest I can find a record of the Violet-crowned Hummingbirds’ winter over at the Paton center is 1992-93. This predominantly Mexican species is found along a very thin band of SE Arizona, in the summer when they migrate into the area for nesting.
We look forward to your next visit to the Tucson Audubon’s Paton Center for Hummingbirds, and hopefully you will get the chance to enjoy this amazing location, along with a moment or two watching the Violet-crowned Hummingbirds.
