hummingbird eggs 2014

Hope’s Hatchlings: Part Three (and a naming contest)

James M. Barrie

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Taking the measure of things, from the day we started this journey…

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Day 17. Basking in the afternoon sun. Meanwhile, Hope is sipping nectar from the citrus blossoms, on the other side of my backyard. Do you see the shimmery green, peeking out from the hatchling's folded wings? Before long, he'll be covered with iridescent feathers! He should fledge within a week, plus or minus a couple of days.

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Day 18. The Santa Ana winds are blowing, so the hummingbird hatchling is hunkered down in the nest. So many fewer pinfeathers than yesterday–lots of fluffy feathers in their place! Fun fact: The nest is built, in part, of extremely strong, very stretchy spider silk, so the nest expands as the nestling grows. When it appears to be outgrowing the nest, it's almost ready to fledge.

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Day 19. Check out those wings!! It's as if they sprouted overnight. The sun was warm & bright this afternoon, which made picture-taking a bit of a challenge. It blanketed the hatchling's back, radiating light, and before long, those dark little peepers drifted shut.

NAMING CONTEST! Hope's hatchling will likely fledge next Tuesday,  23 days after breaking free of its shell. With that in mind, I'm hosting a naming contest.

Naming Contest Rules:

1) Drop your entry into the comments section, below. Alternatively, leave your suggestion on the link I post to my Facebook page.
2)  All entries must be received by 11:00 a.m. (Pacific) on Sunday, 3/16
3)  My neighbor-friend Sara will help me select the winning entry
4)  In the event of duplicate submissions, we will draw the winner's name from a hat (metaphorically speaking).
5)  I'll announce the hatchlings name on Monday, 3/17.
6) The prize? Amazing! Author Jeanette Larson is donating a copy of her beautiful book, HUMMINGBIRDS: Facts and Folklore from the Americas, to the winner. Exquisite illustrations, fun and informative text…this is one of those books that quickly assumes a prominent position on your bookshelf or coffee table.

At some point early next week, the hummingbird hatchling will wing its way into the world, graced with a befitting name. I'll post more pictures in the meantime. Stay tuned…

Missed the previous posts about Hope and her hatchlings? Here you go: Hope's Hatchlings, Part One and Hope's Hatchlings: Part Two.

Hope’s Hatchlings: Part Two

Rabindranath Tagore

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(Missed the previous days' entries? Here's the link. )

Day 9. "It's Nature's way," I am told. And it's statistically true that only 50% of hummingbird hatchlings grow iridescent wings and fledge. But numbers count for nothing, when you're trying to reconcile wishes with reality…reality being that one of the baby hummingbirds fell from the nest this morning. I don't know the how or why, but it was already dead when I found it.

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Day 11. At this point, the hatchling is covered with pinfeathers, so Hope broods less often, even at night. To avoid attracting the attention of predators, she steers clear of the nest, save for the few seconds it takes to feed her hatchling. Feeding intervals vary, from less than ten minutes to more than an hour and a half.

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Day 12. Look in the upper left corner: you can see one of the hatchling's tiny wings!

The nest is slanted, thanks to the heavy winds and rains, but it's not going anyway. That's because hummingbirds lash their nests to nearby branches with spider silk, which is at once flexible and super-strong. Hope brooded last night, and again today. I think she's trying to keep her hatchling warm while the nest dries.

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Day 14. Hope allowed me a couple of pictures before she buzzed past my head, clicking and helicoptering her tiny wings.

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As you can see from this second picture, the hatchling's pinfeather casings are breaking open now, and the beak is much darker. Before long, we'll see its iridescent feathers. Hope's baby must surely have a neck ache by now, what with staying in that position for lo, these many days. But I'm pretty sure it has something to do with balancing itself on a downward-tilted nest.

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Day 15. Hope's hatchling has all its pinfeathers now, and is beginning to sprout real feathers. It lies motionless for much of the time, so as not to attract predators, but it raises its beak whenever it senses Hope is near.

Within the confines of its nest, the hatchling strengthens its flying muscles. It does this by gripping the floor with its feet and flapping its wings. Random fact: from the time they first hatch, baby hummingbirds do everything they can to drop their waste over the side of the nest (FYI, in case you hadn't already noticed).

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Day 16. Look! The hummingbird hatchling's got tiny tail feathers! This picture also shows the downward slant of the nest–quite the balancing act, no? Time to fledge: 7 days and counting…

Missed the first set of pictures? Go back to Hope's Hatchlings, Part One

Want to see more? Hope's Hatchling's, Part Three (and a naming contest)

Hope’s Hatchlings: Part One

When we last saw Hope, our Mama Hummingbird, she was sitting on two eggs. So much has happened since then, much of which I’ve posted to Facebook. But I’ll reprise the highlights on my blog, so that we can enjoy them all over again.
P1020045Hope leaves the nest for short periods, to forage for nectar and insects.

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2/24 It’s hardly recognizable as a baby hummingbird, but ta da! The first hatchling made his grand appearance today. (The second hummingbird pecked his shell open that same afternoon.)

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Within just a couple of days, Hope’s baby hummingbirds have almost doubled in size. Their beaks are slightly darker (barely visible at the 4:00 and 8:00 positions), and they’re growing fuzzy little pinfeathers. At this stage, they’re very much a work in progress…

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Day 3. Hope braces herself on the edge of the nest—it’s a windy afternoon, but her hatchlings are hungry!

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Hope’s hummingbird hatchlings are 4 days old! She feeds them a slurry of nectar & insects about every 20 minutes. In this blustery rainstorm, however, she’s hunkered down on the nest more than usual.  (I set up my camera shots when Hope’s away from the nest, gathering food. And because I try to hurry, the pictures aren’t always–well, picture perfect.)

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Day 6. The nest is soaked clear through, but Hope and her brood weathered a violent storm that rolled in overnight.  Heavy rains and hail. Thunder, lightning, and howling winds. I fretted for hours on end, hoping against long odds that they’d make it. And…as you can see here, they did! No worse for the wear, it seems, other than the fact that they’re a bit wet. And quite obviously, very hungry.

Want to know what happens next? Follow these links: Hope’s Hatchlings, Part Two and Hope’s Hatchlings, Part Three (and a naming contest).

Thankful Thursday: Hope

I’m grateful today for Hope, the mama hummingbird who’s bringing to my backyard garden these little glimpses of heaven.
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Two tiny eggs, one hidden from view

She carries light on her gossamer wings, quilts earth and sky together with her long, slender beak.

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Protective mamas, this hummingbird and me

 Hope graces our garden with her beautiful presence, brings joy to the present moment and –tucked into that perfect little nest—the tiniest glimpses of Possibility.
She built her home on the strong, high branch of a podocarpus tree, using spider silk and magic.  And somewhere in that process, Hope, that thing with feathers, has perched herself on my soul.
Want to know what happened to Hope and her brood, from this point forward? Follow the links to Hope’s Hatchlings, Part One, Hope’s Hatchlings, Part Two, and Hope’s Hatchling’s, Part Three (and a naming contest).

Backyard Buddies

Most of you have already met my little friend Sara. If not, please allow me the privilege of introducing her now.

She's a fairy princess…

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a pastry sous chef…

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A prima ballerina, book lover, nature girl…

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and Nancy Drew-in-training. We have so much fun together, my little neighbor friend and I!

Example: We wandered into my backyard yesterday afternoon, with plans to water the fairy garden we created a short while back. Sara got side-tracked by some roly-poly seed pods, scattered on the ground. One thing led to another, and…oh, look!* Look up, Sara! Do you see what I see, on the edge of that branch?

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A Mama Hummingbird, nesting in my backyard podocarpus tree, as pretty as you please!

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(*Look = a wondrous word. Can I get a witness?)

We stood quietly together, watched Mama play sentry. She turned her head to and fro, no doubt aware of our presence.

But hummingbirds don't scare easily, especially when they've come to know you as the one who refills the nectar in their feeder.

I snapped some pictures, and when she flew off to get some sustenance…

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…I zoomed the lens a little closer. Voilà, two tic-tac sized eggs, tucked inside her nest!

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Some of you might remember the backyard hummingbirds I documented a few years ago, from first discovery to fledge. It'll be SO FUN to do something similar with my little pal, Sara!

Now that you've met my backyard buddies, I'll let you in on another little secret. I decided just this morning to give Mama Hummingbird a name! Hope, the thing with feathers… It suits her, don't you think?