Hummingbird building a nest

[fastfire]

3 and 4 years ago found a hummingbird nest in the same tree now building another. Found it yesterday, it was 1/2 the size it is now.
The nest in years past you could put a quarter on top of the nest and it would just cover the top.
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[mold maker]

I have two feeders, and enjoy the little rascals, but have never seen them nesting.

[fastfire]

I too have 2 feeders across the driveway, been thinking about putting up a third.
Sit in a lawn chair watching all the hummingbird fights can be entertaining.
Last evening I thought I'd look for a nest, while looking up in the tree a hummer landed on the limb and wiped it's bill on the limb(I think it was wiping the spider web off it's bill, building up the nest) otherwise I'd have never seen it.

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

I found a nest a few years ago when camping, got some good shots

Mama sitting near the nest
http://www.hillbilly-photo.com/Photography/Wildlife/i-Z3wVTDs/0/M/P1179256-M.jpg

in flight
http://www.hillbilly-photo.com/Photography/Wildlife/i-QmL7tKV/0/M/P1179259-M.jpg

http://www.hillbilly-photo.com/Photography/Wildlife/i-b63wqgq/0/M/P1179269-M.jpg

http://www.hillbilly-photo.com/Photography/Wildlife/i-t6XnfXm/0/M/P1179233-M.jpg

If you look closely at this last one, you can see the beaks of the 3 babies
http://www.hillbilly-photo.com/Photography/Wildlife/i-Q57NtMG/0/M/P1179264-M.jpg

[buckwheatpaul]

My wife and I truly enjoy the little hummingbirds....we have them by the 100's due to my better half making the "ETHYL" version of the sugar water....they all have little pot bellies from all the hight sugar content water she makes....we go through over 100 lbs of sugar a season ...... thanks for the picture....I have never seen one of their nests......

[**oneshot**]

We have lots of flower gardens and love to watch the hummingbirds. I had a rare chance to watch hummingbirds build a nest once. They picked the middle of the multiflora rose(I think I spelled that right) along the edge of the pasture. They were putting dried moss on the nest and it basically disappeared before my eyes. I looked away to follow it's flight and it took me a minute or so to find it again. I sat there for a few hours watching them, it was amazing.

[quilbilly]

A couple weeks ago I watched six hummers fighting over the four holes in my feeder so I bought a six hole feeder. Now we have eight of the little beggars. It is like watching the battle of Brittain all day long. Great fun!

[mikeym1a]

They are such magnificent little creatures!

[fastfire]

Noticed she hadn't been sitting on the nest so I had to take a peek.109574109575

[Surculus]

3 and 4 years ago found a hummingbird nest in the same tree now building another. Found it yesterday, it was 1/2 the size it is now.
The nest in years past you could put a quarter on top of the nest and it would just cover the top.

Different "nests." H-birds have such high metabolisms they have to go into "torpor," kind of a hibernation just to make it thru the night. Hence the small, single nest in years past. Laying a clutch of eggs & raising young colibri demands a bigger nest.

My uncle who recently passed away used about 50# of sugar a month to keep his feeders in operation, possibly making him the diabetic w/ the highest sugar usage anywhere! ;)

[bangerjim]

We have several nests in the front and back yards. Very interesting birds! They make the strangest "squeeky" sounds when around. Especially when the cats are in the yard below them! Cats have never bothered them, as if they could move fast enough to catch one.

banger

[Bad Water Bill]

Great stuff keep it coming.

Many years ago we visited the wineries in Ca then decided to hit the coast.

A local drew us a short cut map and we were off.

Wilderness all the way on 2 lanes that were SOME TIMES paved.

When we finally reached the ocean we found ourselves at a Indian trading post.

Thousands and thousands of hummers were every where you looked.

No we never entered the post but sure did enjoy the beauty of those birds.

Today I still remember the birds but have no idea where we were.

[dragonrider]

We have feeders on the deck, they're so much fun to watch, and they fly right by your ears so close sometimes I have been hit by their wings. The noises they make are so different than other birds. If you google Hummingbird Ranch This link is fun to watch, I think it is in Alaska
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUEZkwJulBY

[monadnock#5]

Here's my Hummingbird story: Ruby Throated sits placidly sipping from the feeder glued to the kitchen window. As I watch, a small ball of fluff flies erratically past. I jump to the slider to see a baby Robin has landed on the branch of a small tree. A family of Warblers takes exception to this and lands on the branch (5 of them) and starts leapfrogging each other closer and closer, running their mouths letting Jr. know the butt whipping they're about to inflict. For his part, Jr. is also screaming his head off "SAVE ME MOMMA".

From afar, I hear the cry of a top predator, Momma to the rescue! She made her entrance at warp 5 and scattered the Warblers back into the underbrush (ground nesters), and then, proceeded to scold Jr. with words not fit to print. "Mad as a wet hen!" will get you fairly close though.

At this point the happy Hummer (remember him?) chooses to head for home, and flies within a foot of Momma Robin! The barrel roll she made coming off that branch was absolutely spectacular! Every ounce of hatred and frustration was focused on killing that Hummer. The Hummer did make it home OK, but it was a very, very close thing. I hope his wife accepted his explanation for scratches on his back.

[winelover]

Yesterday, we had a small woodpecker on our hummingbird feeder. At first glance, it looked like a hummer on steroids. Stayed quite a while, so he must have gotten some nectar. Sorry, no pictures------we were having supper!

Winelover

[Bad Water Bill]

Here is a documentary worth spending time watching.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTJc8xK6tOY

Yes some are changing their migratory patterns today.

[bearcove]

They made a nest on the garage door on the backyard shop 2 yrs. the bar that locks it left it open all summer for them.

[bearcove]

In Mo we sit on porch. the male guards the food source and all the other birds try too feed great fun..

In Mo we have ruby throated.

[Blacksmith]

If you ever get to the Tucson AZ area visit the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum they have a Humming Bird Aviary that is amazing. You walk around inside the aviary with the birds.
https://www.desertmuseum.org/visit/primary_exhibit_areas.php

[Giants fan]

We have many different colorful hummingbirds everyday during down our homemade brew. They are such beautiful birds. It's funny how they will literally chase each other around my house almost like a race track starting off 40mph and after a few laps they slow down to a crawl.. Eventually one makes it to the feeder while the other one sits across in the almond tree. Good times :)

[fastfire]

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It wouldn't be long now before there on their own.

[snuffy]

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This is a pair of ruby throated hummers that have been using my feeder this summer. The female was feeding young at a nest which is about 100 yards from my house, in a neighbors crab apple tree. He has a feeder, but his nectar was low and had gone bad. So she was using mine. As long as she was at my feeder, she would NOT let the male feed there. She chased him away every time she caught him there. But he was smart, he would wait until she fed, then feed.

I set up my camera on a tripod through a window and still got some pretty good pics. Camera is a Cannon rebel T2i with the kit lens, a 18-55 mm.. Shutter speed 1/500, ISO 800 f 5.5. Just got the new release of ashampoo photo commander 12. Works nicely to crop the pics of the hummers.

I change the nectar as soon as it goes cloudy, which means a mold is growing in it. The female got to where she would land on the feeder to take long drinks. They need lots of energy when they're feeding young. She would feed every 10-15 minutes, sometimes more often. The neighbor replenished his feeder, so the momma wnet back to using his. Now I just see the male.

BWB, thanks for that link. darn near an hour long, but what a lot of info!

[ph4570]

We have two feeders on the front porch. In the evening all eight ports are occupied and about 10-20 swarming around waiting or fighting to get a feeder port. They will often have mid air collisions as they fight for a feeder. The critters are a hoot to watch. The feeders need to be refilled a couple of times a day.

[TenTea]

You can't beat Mother Nature...can't even tie her.

[Bad Water Bill]

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BWB, thanks for that link. darn near an hour long, but what a lot of info!

I found the shot of the hummer scooping up the insect amazing.

I never knew they also ate large quantities of insects as well as the sugar water.

Glad you enjoyed it as much as I did.