Showing posts with label nest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nest. Show all posts

Monday, March 21, 2011

Another hummingbird brood coming?

Shortly after the last brood vacated the nest, a female bird was there touching things up, and tonight, less than two weeks later, a bird is sitting on the nest. I'd seen her working throughout the day today, and tonight when I went out to close up the chicken coop I saw her silhouette in the nest.
I took a photo, dark and shaky though it is.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

One baby hummingbird chin

The mother hummingbird has now started sleeping elsewhere, which means the hatchlings are feathered enough to regulate their own body temperatures. I've seen two little chins poking above the nest, and today while the mother was off foraging I got close for a quick photo of one tiny chin.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Hummingbird Nest Decorated with Lichen

The hummingbird has added a considerable coating of lichen pieces to the outside of her nest. It would work great as camouflage in a tree. I'm not sure she's really blending in with the string lights though. She is on the nest for longer periods of time, and away for shorter. Makes sense. She will bring back little pieces of fluff and tuck them inside the nest.
She'll feed at some nearby flowers in the back yard, and also at flowers in the front yard.
I'll start watching for babies in about a week or so.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Hummingbird update




The Hummingbird has been spending much more time in the nest the past few days, and she is in the nest tonight. I did a little research on the nesting habits of hummingbirds and it seems the female builds a nest soon after mating, then after a day or two lays up to two pea-sized eggs. She'll incubate them for two weeks or so, then she'll tend to the babes by keeping them warm and feeding them frequently until they are feathered enough to regulate their own body temperatures. Not sure how long that process lasts, a few more weeks I think, then they'll leave the nest.
You won't see any egg pictures from this nest because I feel that would be too intrusive. I've been out in the general vicinity of the nest, keeping my distance, moving slowly, and she's stayed in it the whole time. She usually makes a chirp as she leaves the nest and goes off for a while, then returns for a while. She was gone in the late afternoon and early evening, but I did see her profile out there tonight, so I'm guessing she's incubating eggs.

I'll be sure to try for photos of the babies, without bothering the family. It is all a bit wonderful.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Hummingbird in the Nest




This hummingbird will avoid the nest if I am hanging around nearby outside, or too obviously gawking from the living room. It has been chasing away scrub jays and doing the intimidating hover/chirp at the cat. I have found if I hide behind the curtains just so, with my camera focused on the nest, I can get more photos of the bird in the nest. It doesn't stay long, so I have to be quick, but I got a few that I've cropped to show more of the bird.



Nest Expansion


Day two of nest building. These photos are shot from underneath the nest and it looks like those green pieces could be lichen, but I do not know. Top photo taken around 8 a.m. and bottom photo taken around 11:45 a.m. The bird is building at a pretty fast pace, but I suppose that is what one might expect from a hummingbird.


Tuesday, May 25, 2010

New Resident



We light our patio with LED string lights, which look very festive and are much easier on the eyes than the bright spotlights that were installed before. We've noticed a hummingbird hanging around the string lights, and hanging around the patio area - buzzing by for a close look at us while we drink coffee in the morning, and taking a close look at the cat, when she's on the other side of a glass door. The hummingbird has been a regular visitor.

Today I noticed it buzzing around and stopping by the string lights rather frequently. It seems to be building a nest on the string lights. I took a few photos of the brown duff after it had been back and forth all morning.



A little later the hummingbird was back at the nest site, and I caught a picture of it, sitting there. The nest site is in a spot I can see from my office, at a short distance, and directly out the living room window, at close range. I'm a bit thrilled with the idea of having a hummingbird nest to watch all summer.