Today was the big day for the baby hummingbirds. Early in the afternoon I saw them practicing flight, hanging onto the nest by their toenails while whirling their wings. They took a break to sit on the edges of the nest. A while later only one bird was in the nest and I watched the other rather closely. At some point the bird started the pre-flight practicing again, and then lift-off occurred! Oh it was magical, and the bird flew to a spot about two inches away from the nest. There it sat for some time. An adult bird (not sure if it was the mother or an intruder I'd seen yesterday) came along and nudged it away from the nest. It took flight again, to sit atop the beam around which the string lights are wrapped—still not very far from the nest. It sat awhile there and then flew back to the nest. A few minutes later it whirled its wings and left for good. It was a magical moment to see that little bird take flight for the first time.
An adult bird, perhaps the mother or the intruder, started amending the nest, picking out feathers, fluffing the lining. I'm not sure if a new mother is looking to make the nest her own or if the original mother is making adjustments. It seems as if another round of babies is somewhat likely.
Here's a photo of the two earlier in the day, getting a feel for perching.
2 comments:
thank you thank you for sharing this whole process! i loved watching the hummingbirds grow up with you. :)
I enjoyed everything about your blog - would love to see some of this in person. Genevieve
Post a Comment