…I’m bursting with good news and can’t wait ’til tomorrow to share it.
*drum roll*
Phoebe’s back! Here, Mama Hummingbird is perched atop her walnut-sized nest, showing off the eggs she laid over the weekend.
Click here for a photo album of Phoebe and her chicks-to-be. No bigger than tic tacs, they’re nestled in a bed of spider silk and fluff, not far from where I live in Orange County.
You can follow their progress via WebCam. Also…consider adding Phoebe Allens to your list of friends on Facebook. Updates on Phoebe and her brood (with photos!) are posted almost daily.
UPDATE: I am so sorry. Had I known what would happen, I wouldn’t have posted this entry. Sometime during the night, Phoebe destroyed the eggs. *wipes away tears* No definitive word as to why this might have happened, but It’s been well over 90 degrees here in the last several days, so it’s quite possible that the eggs were no longer viable. Mother Nature is sometimes mysterious and oftentimes sad, but I choose to believe that all things work out for the best.
From the archives: Hummingbird hatchlings blessed our citrus tree a while back.
What a wonderful picture. Hope she re-lays her eggs. She is beautiful.
She’s gorgeous. And a very good mama. She must have known something not obvious to us….
I still think it is so amazing that you have a front row seat to this…highs, lows, and everything in between.
I’m grateful to the hosts who keep the camera lens focused on these tiny miracles. 🙂
(((HUGS)))
Thanks, Robin. I’m a big crybaby. They’re so small, but hummingbirds hold a huge place in my heart.
YAY! Welcome back, Phoebe!
I’m always glad to see her; even in this sadness, she’s a harbinger of hope.
Awwww. Don’t cry, Melodye. It was for the best, for whatever reason. I hope she lays some more eggs.
Thanks, Kelly. You are right, of course. She’s proven herself a good mama again and again. She knew something we didn’t….
Sending hugs, Melodye. What a shock it must have been to get up and see that. I hope there will be new eggs.
Thanks, Amy! I was stunned, and very sad. That’s the downside of being able to see Mother Nature up close: we share her joys *and* her pain.
that is so sad, but you are right, nature works in mysterious ways that we can’t always understand or rationalize.
This is one of those times where we get to practice compassionate detachment. Believe you me, that’s not my strong suit.
Oh, so sad. I do hope she lays some new ones. The photo is amazing.
It’s glorious, isn’t it, that we’re given the opportunity to see Mother Nature up close? Phoebe is such a beautiful hummingbird, and a very good mama. They typically have 3 broods in the fall, so here’s hoping (and praying) for some feathery magic. 🙂
Aww, I only found the post after the ETA.
Here’s hoping she lays more eggs and brings them through to hatching.
*your wish to God’s ears*
Meantime, it’s a privilege to be counted among Phoebe’s many (worldwide) fans!
Oh, no! I’m so, so sorry. I know how much you love Phoebe (and all hummingbirds), so this has got to be heart-wrenching.
Here’s a hug for my soft-hearted friend…
Thank you, Tracy. Your hugs help–always.
I love birds of all kinds, but hummingbirds the best. So yeah, this was very sad. I take comfort in the fact that the universe is far wiser than I, and Phoebe’s a very smart mama. The outcome might have been more difficult to watch, had she not taken matters in her own hands. Brooding season’s far from over, and I’m holding out hope that she’ll be showing off healthy eggs sometime soon.