Hi Everyone, Just got back from almost two weeks in California and while at my mother-in-law's home, we discovered a tiny hummingbird nest next to her patio chairs. The next was eye level and easy to photograph the two babies inside. I photographed them every day from the 8th through the 15th. They fledged on the 15th, and hung around the patio perched on the back of chairs and decorations hanging from the porch roof for a couple days after that before they moved on.
My MIL does not have a feeder, instead she has massive plantings of probably a 100 or more bird and butterfly friendly flowers. The hummers were everywhere. I think I picked out at least 5 different types. She is located in southeast Riverside, California up against the foothills. As best as I can tell, these babies look just like their mother. Sort of a brownish/grey back with a lighter throat and dark bluish brown wings. No sight of the father around, as best I could tell, if he was, then he was a drab looking as the female and babes and or not feeding them. There were other species of hummers in her yard, all much larger than these. They also seemed very used to having humans around and showed little fear, even when I was photographing the nest. The mother would sometimes fly around all of us sitting on the patio and hover for a few moments in front of each persons face, just maybe a foot or a little more away. This would be either before or just after she feed the babies. She didn't appear threatening in anyway, more like she was checking each of us out, out of curiosity. The babies were almost as large as their mother/parent. Tinier than most hummingbirds I've seen in the past, maybe a little more than 3" long, not counting their bills. Also their bills were very dark black, if that helps. I have pictures in my blog with more of a description. Unless you have a multiply account your won't be able to post a comment though (their rules not mine) so if you have an idea of what kind they are, shoot me an email off list. Thanks! Pauli in Highlandlake/Mead, Weld County. http://hollyhockfarms.multiply.com/photos/album/24/California_Humming_Birds<http://hollyhockfarms.multiply.com/photos/album/24/California_Humming_Birds> --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Colorado County Birding: http://www.coloradocountybirding.com/ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.as/group/cobirds?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
