The Hummingbird Nest

(click on a photo to enlarge)

On May 23 friends (and neighbors) invited me to photograph a hummingbird that was constructing a nest on one of the light fixtures that hang from their covered patio. Naturally I didn’t waste any time getting there because hummingbird nests are pretty hard to come by — this was a unique opportunity.

We have at least three pair of Black-chinned Hummingbirds (Archilochus alexandri) that visit our feeders and no matter how hard I try to follow a female’s flight path when she leaves, I haven’t found any nest sites. Black-chinneds are the only hummers I’ve seen up here since the spring migrants passed through and that is the species building the nest on our friend’s light fixture. Here she is putting the finishing touches on her nest of plant material held together with spider webs and decorated with lichens.

Black-chinned Hummingbird Adding to Her Nest

Did you notice her yellow throat? That’s not the usual color for any North American hummingbird species. This bird must have been visiting flowers that stained her throat yellow. I’d never seen this before until a day or two later when one of my own females was nectaring at the Hesperaloe. Her throat was even more yellow! The mystery still remains as to what flowers the hummers were visiting that would cause this coloration. Certainly not the tiny Hesperaloe flowers. Not much else was blooming at the time except Soapberry Yucca and upon examination of those flowers, it was obvious that there was no yellow pollen in them.

“Yellow-throated” Black-chinned Hummingbird

I returned to photograph the nest on 6/14 and found the female sitting. The two eggs had recently hatched and she was on and off the nest a lot although I didn’t actually see her doing any feeding. Mostly featherless, the nestlings can’t thermo-regulate yet but it was pretty hot out so the female didn’t need to spend much time at this job. Notice that her pollen-stained throat is fading.

Keeping the Nestlings Warm

My last visit was ten days later and I found the young hummingbirds, now at least two weeks old, quickly outgrowing their home. Their bills were elongating and they appeared alert and eager to feed when the female arrives (male hummingbirds have nothing to do with raising their young).

The Nestlings

I noticed that they didn’t make a sound when the female came to feed them unlike other nestling passerines. They just opened their bills and waited.

Begging for a Meal

Food Delivery of Small Insects

That Looks Like It Might Hurt!

After feeding the two nestlings, there was a moment of contemplation before the female took off in search of another meal. Records show that Black-chinned Hummingbirds are in the nest for three weeks before they fledge which would make them flying free by now.

Done Feeding

Published by Arlene Ripley on July 3rd, 2009 Tagged Arizona, Birds, Cochise County, Nature | Comment now »

Wiley E. Coyote

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Prairie Wolf, Bush Wolf, Song Dog or Coyote — we hear them much more often than we see them and suspect they occasionally drink from our birdbaths at dawn and dusk when they’re most active. We rarely see them during the day but today was different. Probably because it was overcast. We’re on the cusp of the monsoon season and the sky is more cloudy than sunny but it is still very dry and the animals are thirsty. Our little water offering is very attractive now and this coyote must have been desperate to quench its thirst.

Wonder Where All the Birds Went?

Extremely wary, this creature approached the birdbath like it was a live bomb. It took several attempts before it actually bent down and took a few judicious sips. Then it would jump back, sniff the air and go in for another drink. Other than humans, I can’t think of what natural predators would be around here to make it so uncomfortable. Perhaps it was just the fact that it was out in mid-day.

The coyote’s scientific name (Canis latrans) translates to “barking dog.” It’s not uncommon to hear them vocalizing at dusk or during the night with a series of high-pitched yaps, yelps and yowls. This vocalization is most common in spring mating season and in the fall when young coyotes are trying to establish new territories.

Coyotes are omnivorous. They eat anything from jackrabbits, birds, vegetable matter and even carrion. This characteristic contributes to their ongoing success.

On Alert

And for all you roadrunners out there — beware! Wiley E. Coyote is on the prowl.

Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californicus)

Say’s Phoebes (conclusion)

Here are some behavioral videos I thought might be entertaining and educational. The first is nestling behavior during the last few days before fledging. Notice how much preening is going on. Gotta get those feathers ready for flight! The parents bring food but just enough to sustain them. The deliveries get fewer and farther apart so the young will have some incentive to leave — they’re hungry!

The parents have done a good job of keeping the nest clean by removing the fecal material which is encased in a sack while the birds are in the nest. This “package” makes it easy for the parent to remove it. Watch as the young turn around and “present” the fecal sac to the adult.

Because they’re flycatchers, the phoebes must quickly learn to catch insects both on the ground and on the fly. Here the young already recognize a small flying insect as a potential meal and snap at it. It reminds me of people watching a tennis match!

They spent the last few days exercising their wings. This video was taken the day before fledging.

The phoebes fledged on 6/19, a day I was not at home to watch or video them. Nevertheless they didn’t go very far. In fact, that evening they spent the night huddled on top of the porch light just across from their nest. The next evening they moved to another porch. The parents are supplementing their diet with insects while teaching them to catch them on their own. Here a youngster waits patiently on one a chair for a food delivery. We can still hear the begging calls of the young whenever we’re outside.

What do I do now?

So now, on to other subjects and there are so many more things to write about!