Hummingbirds

2004

2005


January 21. We discover one egg in the old hummingbird nest outside our front door.

January 23.  A second egg has appeared.

The mother bird sits on her nest.

She has worked hard to build up the shallow sides of the nest.

February 2.  The eggs are buried deep inside the more substantial nest.

February 7.  The first egg has hatched!

February 8.  Now there are two.

February 9.  Feed me!!

February 10.  Two wiggly fuzzballs.

February 11.

February 12.  A baby rests its beak on the rim of the nest, and then...

...everybody thinks the jostling of the camera against the branch means lunch is here!

February 13.  MO-O-O-O-OOOMMMMMM!!!!!!

February 14.  One week old!  Look at that eye!!

February 15.  Fuzz and Buzz sleep it off.

February 16.  It's time for a little reorganization ...

Fuzz:  Is it me, or is this place shrinking?

Buzz:  Beats me, but I think there's more room over there ...

Fuzz:  Hey!  Watch that beak!

Buzz:  There!  That's better!

Aaaaah!

February 17.  Eyes wide open.

February 18.  Getting fuzzier and buzzier.

February 19.  Rain rain go away ...

February 20.  ... come again some other day ...

... on second thought -- enough already with the rain.

February 21.  Two weeks old!  A brief brightening of the sky offers a glimpse of emerging green feathers!

Buzz:  You think our beaks are getting longer?

Fuzz:  Why not try closing yours for a change and see.

February 22.  More green feathers ...

... and a neat row of wing feathers peek out over the rim of the nest!!

February 23.  Wing feathers all around.

February 24.  Looking more and more like regular birds!!

February 25.  You lookin' at me?

Be sure you get my good side! ...

... especially my distinguished profile.

February 26.

February 27.

Getting tighter and tighter!!

February 28.  Three weeks old!

Buzz:  When are we gonna bust out of this joint?

Fuzz:  Any day now, if you don't start counting your carbs.

Blending in.

March 1.  Mother bird checks on things from a safe distance.

Buzz and Fuzz continue to plan their escape from their increasingly teeny nest.

March 2.  Launch day.

Buzz:  I think I've finally figured out how this system works ...

Fuzz:  Hey! How did you do that??!!!

Fuzz:  Woo hoooooooo!!! ... Icanfly!Icanfly!!Icanfly!!!Icanfly!!!!! ...

... so THAT'S what these things are for!

Now, if I flap my wings reeeeeaaaallly fast, can I let ... go ... of ... the ... twig?? ...

... Too scary!  I think I'll just hang on here for a nano-second.

Hahahahahaaaaaaa!!!  Can you find me now?

... the empty nest.

A sense of scale.

March 4.  Buzz:  Hey!  You with the camera!  It's me -- Fuzz, er Buzz -- whatever ...

... hold on ... gotta take time out for a quick snack ...

Yummmm!  Thanks, Mom!

Now ... watch what I can do!

Yeeeehaaaaaaaaaaa!!

If you'd like to see some really terrific photographs of a mother hummingbird raising her chick, visit Don Kaiser's website:

http://www.warwingsart.com/Hummingbirds/2005/2005bhummers01.html

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