2013 Best Wildlife & Judges Choice, Professional Photographers of America, New Mexico

This photograph of female broad-tailed hummingbird was shot on May 31, 2012 on Initi Palka Ranch, just south of Mora, New Mexico.

When hovering, the wings of these hummingbirds beat about 50 wingbeats per second. Female broad-tailed hummingbirds build tiny, cup-shaped nests out of spiderwebs and other fine materials, providing insulation against cold nights at high altitudes.

Shot in the early morning, just as the sun rose above a nearby ridge to the east, this photograph captures incredibly rapid wing motion as this hummingbird hovers in the early morning light.