We watched in vain for much of the summer to see where even just one of the hummingbirds had her nest. When all the leaves came down, Barry spotted this one, just 5 or 6 feet from the deck railing.
If you're interested, here's a copy of some nest info at about.com: "Hummingbird nests are built entirely by the female bird – male hummingbirds do not have any part in raising chicks once the initial act of copulation is complete. The female, however, will spend several hours a day for 5-7 days collecting materials to build her nest.
The most common nesting materials found in hummingbird nests include moss and lichen, plant down from thistles, dandelions or cattails, spider silk, cotton fibers, small bits of bark or leaves, feathers, fuzz or hairs from leaves. These materials are woven together into a dense cup that is frequently decorated with moss, lichen or other materials for camouflage.
The edge of the cup is curved inward to protect the eggs from tipping out in high winds, and the spider silk used to bind the nest together gives it elasticity to enlarge as the hatchlings grow. Exact nest dimensions vary depending on the species of hummingbird and the materials used to create the nest, but most hummingbird nests are 1.5 inches in diameter, or roughly the size of a walnut or golf ball."
Many thanks for dropping by.
edit: I added a pic to show the big picture - check Nov 4th pic.
God bless these little miracle birds - I am in awe of them! Wonderful information, thank you for providing this and a great shot of their humble abode.
Cool shot. Like how you filled the frame to get a great looking DOF and sharp focus. Like the information. For all the hummingbirds, I had never seen a nest. Now, I'll know what one looks like when I do see a nest.
I should explain, the nest is about 15 feet off the ground so I would need a really tall ladder to add a ruler or a golf ball to give you an idea of the small size.
@mebswartz Awwe, thanks for the fav! that's so nice! I appreciate your comments and continued support. I took the shot from the deck, which is quite a piece off the ground. It's off the main level but because we built the house into the side of a hill, the back where the deck is, slopes away quite quickly. I like having a walk-out basement but stuff like decking gets a little more complicated.
@michaelelliott thanks michael! the background is a million leaves that never get raked! lol. thankfully we don't have any grass, so we just let them fall and leave them there. @mimigd@cjwhite wow, i can't thank you enough for the favs. this was one of those surprise shots where you only take two shots all day and don't go more than 6 feet past the doorway to take them!
Instant fave, Anne! I love bird's nests and used to collect them. This is beautiful and I love how resourceful those single mother's are! I never knew hummingbird males were such cads. Chickadee dads are much more responsible for the children. Isn't it funny how bird species are so different?
Really nice, Anne! I love bird's nests too unless they are on my front porch. Birds can be very territorial and since I pay the taxes, I should be able to sit on my porch without being attacked.
@digitalrn fingers and toes crossed, rick!!! i sure hope she comes back. apparently sometimes they'll come back and rebuild on top of the old one. sure hope so.
That is a kewl picture of the sweet little quecks-draw babbalouie moving birdies nest.. and thank you Anne for the information.. I love to learn something new each day!
WOW !!! Great find and fantastic capture! Thanks for such a beautiful close up and narrative! I have not found the local family's nest but fed a couple pairs regularly - i shall look now! Fav!
Oh, Anne, this is the perfect capture. I love all of your descriptions, which help us to understand the complexity of this eco-system. Can you imagine having to locate free "stuff" and build a new house every year?
This is terrific. Love the soft, warm toned background....thanks for all that info too! I just realized I need to try shoot some pics off my deck too. It looks over woods. I saw squirrels out there in the trees today, but never got a good shot. Maybe soon...
@mimigd @cjwhite wow, i can't thank you enough for the favs. this was one of those surprise shots where you only take two shots all day and don't go more than 6 feet past the doorway to take them!