I have always been fascinated by hummingbirds and their sizes. I had wished to see a nest, an egg, baby hummingbird and wondered how their nests are constructed. Well, my wish came true early this morning when I almost destroyed the nest thinking it was an abandoned beehive.
Early this year I hung a shabby chic wall candle holders by the car port in the backyard to brighten and liven up those cool soiree nights. Little did I know that it would become an ideal location for a hummingbird to build its nest.
Their cute little nests are built out of small leaves and twigs, spider silk to bind their nests together as well as lichen.
The mother hummingbird patiently watched and waited for me from a distance as I peeked into her nest. A few seconds later, she returned to her nest to incubate her eggs.
A couple of months ago, my husband and I watched horrified, helplessly as a hawk trapped a bird sitting on her nest and devoured the mother along with her eggs. The bird’s carcass was then thrown to the ground. This hawk watched the mother bird for days and attacked when it was least expected. Despite the fact that the mother bird built her nest high on a pine branch, well hidden and surrounded by thick and dense branches, she didn’t get a chance.
Can you spot the nest on the picture below?
I hope this hummingbird nest is protected from the elements and from predators. I will be keeping an eye on it too.
We are looking forward to see the baby hummingbirds in a few days.
By JM Perez
