BajaNomad

Hummingbirds

Whale-ista - 3-15-2015 at 03:50 PM

I enjoy the bird photos many of you post here.

Last summer while heading south to Cabo Pulmo I stayed with Baja Blanca and gifted her a hummingbird feeder (she also had doves nesting in her patio). I hope it is attracting many more birds to her home!

Then, I stayed in a house in Pulmo called "Casa de Chuparosas." The owner set out a feeder while I was there, to attract more birds to the patio and garden.

I felt right at home!

Here's what I see in my current garden, and hope to develop in future gardens once I can spend more time in Baja.

Does anyone else have birds nesting in their yards/gardens?

Nest, March 2015:

Chicks:

Nest w/eggs:

Mom on nest, outside bedroom window, early March 2015:


Chicks in nest, sideyard, Feb 2015:

woody with a view - 3-15-2015 at 05:28 PM

our resident bird(s) made a nest right outside our sliding glass door, 18 inches from their food source that i fill weekly. mama laid 2 eggs and then realized she picked a trafficky spot and abandoned the nest. still has two eggs in it......

55steve - 3-15-2015 at 05:42 PM

Our hummers have successfully hatched 2 young & a mama dove is working on her 2nd brood and I expect the eggs to hatch any day now.

I'm not sure hanging out by Woody's front door is a great idea either....



Here's a shot of them from a couple weeks ago:





[Edited on 3-16-2015 by 55steve]

Whale-ista - 3-15-2015 at 05:49 PM

Oh, too bad mom moved out- Do you know if she set up another nest nearby?

I've had that happen: new nest, 1 or 2 eggs- then mom leaves when she realizes how close she is to foot traffic. Or one year, a windy storm dumped the eggs out of the nest (mom didn't return to try again)

And another time a nest - in my front yard- was destroyed by unknown critters.

Now, when I see a nest underway, I keep my distance, then gradually "introduce" myself without scaring mom. (But that's assuming you have another doorway or path to use.)

They have me well-trained!

I have 2 entrances into the back yard, so I didn't use the bedroom doorway while this latest nest was being built almost directly overhead. And I can see her thru the window, so I don't go out if she's sitting there.

I've gradually been getting closer- her chirps are a lovely sound to wake up to.

[Edited on 3-16-2015 by Whale-ista]

Whale-ista - 3-15-2015 at 05:51 PM

Ohh.... great shot! They are so fun to watch.

This is the 2nd nest of the season- last year one ambitious bird produced 6 chicks in a nest next to my door. This year, I wonder if it's the same bird, or one of the offspring... they seem to like that location.
Quote: Originally posted by 55steve  
Our hummers have successfully hatched 2 young & a mama dove is working on her 2nd brood and I expect the eggs to hatch any day now.

I'm not sure hanging out by Woody's front door is a great idea either....



Here's a shot of them from a couple weeks ago:





[Edited on 3-16-2015 by 55steve]

durrelllrobert - 3-16-2015 at 10:27 AM

Just learned some new hummer facts: Since they need to feed about every 15 minutes and that's not always possible they make the following adjustments:
1. When female is sitting on eggs she actually REDUCES her body temperature so she can go longer between eating
2. While sleeping at night they reduce their heart rate from around 400 bps down to 40 bps which leaves them vulnerable to predators
3. While migrating from Canada tens of thousands of them stop in a Texas town (forgot name) where all the residents put out humming bird feeders and the hummers feed for several days until their body weight is doubled. Then they fly non-stop about 600 miles across the Gulf of Mexico to the Yucatan where they spend the winter.

video.nationalgeographic.com

toronja - 3-16-2015 at 11:43 AM

How cool! Thanks for the great facts and photos, folks.

BajaBlanca - 3-16-2015 at 11:55 AM

we had so many hummingbirds this year! I have colorful flowers on my porch and they came so close to me I could hear the whirring of their wings.

I need to bring the feeder over here - it stayed up at the B&B!

thanks for reminding me.....

55steve - 3-16-2015 at 12:40 PM

Here's a shot of one of the hummer nest sites that we setup:



Some of the flowers that they like:



Mama dove on the nest:

Whale-ista - 3-16-2015 at 12:54 PM

Steve- do they like the "artificial" nesting areas you set out? Have they been used?

Blanca- sounds wonderful! I love being surrounded by hummingbirds (tho they get very aggressive/territorial at times- and the mom chases every other hummingbird away from "her" flowers/feeder)

durrellrobert- thanks for the factoids! Wow- 600 miles, non-stop... incredible.

Related: There is a hi-altitude ridge in Alaska, on the approach to the summit of Denai (McKinley), called "Hummingbird Ridge" because some climbers once saw a hummingbird up there during their ascent. Or maybe it was lack of oxygen...

In any case: They are amazing birds.

55steve - 3-16-2015 at 01:07 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Whale-ista  
Steve- do they like the "artificial" nesting areas you set out? Have they been used?

Blanca- sounds wonderful! I love being surrounded by hummingbirds (tho they get very aggressive/territorial at times- and the mom chases every other hummingbird away from "her" flowers/feeder)

durrellrobert- thanks for the factoids! Wow- 600 miles, non-stop... incredible.

Related: There is a hi-altitude ridge in Alaska, on the approach to the summit of Denai (McKinley), called "Hummingbird Ridge" because some climbers once saw a hummingbird up there during their ascent. Or maybe it was lack of oxygen...

In any case: They are amazing birds.


I just set the nest sites up about 4 days ago and no action yet - they came with a wad of nesting material that I nailed up also. Our birds nest now and in the early summer, so I'm hopeful they will take advantage of the sites. We have feeders close by and the flowers in the hanging baskets.

I love to watch the action in the early morning while I sit in the shade having my coffee.

alacran - 3-16-2015 at 05:23 PM

I have 2 feeders and lots of hummers. What I do not like are the sparows, they nest everywhere and poop in the same places.

Maron - 3-16-2015 at 06:07 PM

Wonderful photos and great information. Thanks all

woody with a view - 3-16-2015 at 06:22 PM

a new nest was begun under the eave on the fron t of the house but they abandoned it as well. Steve must have spoken to them.:light:

Various hummingbird nests

Whale-ista - 3-16-2015 at 07:19 PM

Hummingbirds can start various nests during the season, or stay with the same one for several chicks. They might decide one is too near an area that is too active, or exposed to wind/weather/predators, etc.

I have several "demo" nests hanging in my patio that I've collected from the garden, after the birds moved on: they were built, used and/or abandoned for various reasons.

This one was used/stretched by the first 2 of 6 chicks last year (I left it in place- seems like a good luck charm):



Once they left it looked like this (yes, it gets messy, tho they try to "aim" their waste over the side of the nest- try not to get in the line of fire):



Then mom began repairing it immediately, weaving it back together with spider webs- she went on to have 4 more chicks:



One week it was very hot, and the chicks seemed stressed, so I did some "supplemental" feeding to help mom



One nest I have collected was clearly attacked by a predator, and the eggs destroyed.

Another was built right before a freakish wind storm, and the eggs were blown out: nest is perfectly intact, but mom never returned.

The current active nest site (under eaves, over doorway, in scheflerra plant) was investigated by the mom in late Dec/early January. Then she decided to build the nest in the side yard. I was disappointed... but mom knows best.

But right after those 2 chicks fledged, the mom decided the scheflerra location was a "go" after all- I started seeing her outside the doorway, and she deposited the first egg while the 2nd nest was still under construction. Then it rained- hard- and the first nest was completely exposed- but the 2nd stayed dry!

That was nearly 3 weeks ago- I expect the first hatchling to appear in this nest in a day or two. And I marvel at the intelligence of these birds.