Nature in Our Backyard: Hummingbird Chicks Leaving the Nest



I've been wanting to link up with Green Bean's Spot the Pollinator series, but haven't had a chance to take many photos of pollinators. But then I remembered the miracle we witnessed during June 2012 in our last home. And which, incidentally, I have never posted about (except a brief mention in this post on Green Phone Booth).

Two years ago, my kids and I got to watch a hummingbird build her nest right under the (plastic fake wood) lattice over the back patio of our rental home. We then watched that hummingbird sit on the eggs in her nest. I had never seen hummingbird wings as anything other than a blur before this experience. Eventually we saw little tiny hummingbird heads poking their heads over the edge of the nest as their mama brought them food.

Hummingbird mama bringing food to her babies.

I'm not a nature photographer. I had to stand on a stool to get these photos
(while not scaring the bird away). I was thrilled I got any decent shots at all.

And then one amazing day, we watched those new babies take flight: watched them hop out of the nest onto the branches of nearby vines, take a short flight across the yard to the top of a bush near the back fence, and then fly right out of the yard never to return. It was such wonderful luck that we saw the babies leave the nest. It was a miracle I got any of it on camera. I thought about taking that nest when we left that rental but left it, hoping another hummingbird might someday get to use it.

Hummingbird chicks contemplating leaving the nest.

The fact that we got to watch so much of this drama unfold is, I realize in retrospect, a result of how much time I spent with my kids outside then.

One of the babies hopped over to this branch before flying across our backyard to a nearby bush.

Keep your yard pesticide-free and pollinator-friendly and watch the miracles unfold!


Can you spot the pollinator? My kids are looking right at it (top left of bush).
The first photo of this post is a close up of this shot.

What miracles have you witnessed in your own backyard?

Link up your own Spot the Pollinator post here.

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2 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh, Betsy!! What an amazing experience. We have had many birds nest here but never hummingbirds. Beautiful story! Thank you for sharing it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. So cool! Love hummingbirds. Baby hummingbirds are even better!

    ReplyDelete

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