Hummingbirds growing up in my garden

A very special place to grow up.

Location, location, location.

This was the geranium hanging plant where the mother hummingbird chose to build its nest. There was nothing special about it except its close proximity to the hummingbird feeder. As you can see, the nest was well camouflaged amongst the flowers, green leaves and branches. It was sheltered by a trellis from direct sunlight, rain and heavy wind. But most of all, it was hidden away from the larger birds in our garden who may snatch the eggs from the nest.

Hello world! - May 9, day 1

One little hummer.

This hummingbird's nest was very well engineered by the enterprising mother. It was carefully fashioned out of moss, lichen, tiny leaves, plant hairs, and glued together with spider web, a material we have a lot of on our deck. The nest was built on top of a "Y" branch of the geranium plant and was the size of a halved golfball. It was just the perfect accommodation for the two jelly bean-sized hummingbird's eggs.

And then there were two - May 11 Day 3

A new roomate.

The almost perfectly rounded inside of the nest was molded from the mother hummingbird's wing, rump and feet. The bottom of the nest and the side facing the wind were thicker than the top. The mother hummingbird disposed of the broken egg shells as soon as both eggs were hatched.
Kudos to a great housekeeper.

Growing in leaps and bounds - May 12 day 4

The baby chicks seemed to double in size everyday. Their tiny fuzzy feathers help regulate their own body heat and keep them warm as their mother go hunting for bugs and nectar to feed them.

Cannot see but can hear - May 12 day 4

Even with their eyes still closed, the baby hummingbirds could hear the wind from the wing of their mother and lift their heads up and open their mouths for feeding. At 4 days old, the two hummers have a darker but still stubby orange beak and dark bodies.

May 14 day 6

At 6 days old, the baby hummingbirds have developed pin feathers which will eventually become real feathers.

Getting vocal - May 17 day 8

I caught these two chicks chirping for their mother. It was at this point that I noticed the hummingbirds' waste (aka poop) on the leaves around the nest. Hummingbird chicks were born potty-trained and will raise their behinds to shoot poo over the side of the nest. This keeps the nest clean and is a real help for the busy mother who has to leave the nest to catch spiders and bugs for the babies.

Getting crowded in here! - May 20 day 10

The pin feathers have grown and covered their entire bodies. The nest is now beginning to get crowded. I did not remove the yellowing leaves surrounding the nest and allowed these to wither away on their own. This will continue to serve as a camouflage for the nest against predators who may be lurking around.

Waiting for momma.- May 23 day 13

At 13 days old, the hummingbirds have grown real feathers and their beaks have become darker and longer. They began to spread their little wings while holding on to the bottom of the nest with their feet. This is to prevent them from falling out of the nest accidentally. What smart little critters.

Two sleepyheads May 25 day 15

What a difference a day make.

The two baby hummingbirds have outgrown the small nest. Their beaks have grown darker and even longer. What a difference a day makes in the lives of these baby chicks.

Sitting back-to-back. - May 26 day 16

Two's company or two's a crowd

I caught these two hummers changing positions in the nest so both of them would fit better. The spiderweb around the nest allowed the nest to expand a little bit to accommodate the growing babies. Their beaks have grown even longer and darker.

So cozy together.- May 27 day 17

This is the most precious shot of the two hummingbird babies ever. The metallic green color on their feathers seemed to change with light intensity and angle of the camera. In the late afternoon, the feathers of the hummers are more brownish in color.

Older sibling flew away.- May 29 day 19

And then there was one.

The older hummingbird had left the nest. It was unfortunate that I did not capture this moment of flight. Having a day job kept me from being there at the right moment. Now the lone hummer baby is contemplating on leaving soon. But is she ready?

Baby hummer longing to fly - May 30 day 20

Early morning

At 20 days old, the baby hummingbird had learned to stand and perch on the nest grabbing snugly at the bottom of the nest with its feet.
It would groom itself and flap its wings as if rehearsing for the big day.


This is the view looking up at the nest with the hummingbird's head peeking out.

Waiting for mom - May 31 day 21

The last day

This was the hummingbird's last day in the nest. It was easy to tell from its body language. The chick would perch on the edge of the nest and flap its wings even as the branches swayed in the wind. The mother hummingbird came every 15 minutes to feed the baby hummer. This went on for an hour. The baby hummingbird seemed very restless, continued to flap its wings and look upwards. Then there was this big gust of wind and the baby hummingbird was gone in the blink of an eye. It happened so fast that I did not have time to catch this magical moment.

And then there were none. May 31

An empty nest.

This was what the empty nest looked like after the hummingbirds have flown away. It was a bittersweet sight. I miss the hummers, but at the same time I felt so fortunate to have been picked to witness one of nature's miracles.

Hummingbird's nest wilting away. - July 12 Two months later

Let nature take its course

The nest has dried up and shrunk in the summer sun. I left it undisturbed and even avoided touching it.
When the cold winter came, some of the branches and the leaves withered away. It was then I cut off the geranium branch that so proudly held the tiny nest of my two baby hummingbirds. Perhaps, another mother hummingbird may find its way again in one of the hanging pots.

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Find your hummingbird's nest soon!

Struck by a Purple Star

This lens was awarded the coveted Purple Star Award. Thank you to the Squidoo community. This is deeply appreciated.