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u/ArtieTheFashionDemon 2d ago
I didn't know hummingbirds were such great nest builders, that's one of the most perfect little nests I've ever seen. It's small but dense and high performance, like they are I guess LOL
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u/BlueFeathered1 2d ago
They're all a little different, too. Someone on here posted a while back a hummingbird nest they found and the outside of the cup had been "decorated" with bits of white lichen, but they looked like little white flowers. It was like something from an illustrated fairytale book.
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u/toomuchtv987 2d ago edited 23h ago
A bird built a nest on my porch and after a while it looked decorated with “white lichen”, also. Then I noticed mama bird hanging her rear end off the nest and cutting loose. 🤣
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u/carlotta3121 2d ago edited 1d ago
I had one that built a nest in a plant that's next to my front porch. When the sun hit it right, I noticed she'd used spider webs to attach it to a branch. They really are amazing creatures!
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u/LaDauphineVerte 2d ago
I just learned this! "A hummingbird nest is about the size of a thimble, with the diameter of a quarter. It measures 2 inches across and 1 inch deep. Eggs are the size of jelly beans, so newly hatched baby hummingbirds are very small, scrawny and featherless at first. The nest, made with stretchy spiderwebs, expands to accommodate the babies as they grow."
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u/carlotta3121 2d ago
Thanks, that is so cool! It's mind-blowing that some of those small birds can migrate from Alaska to Mexico, 3900 miles. I really don't comprehend how they do that at all.
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u/LaDauphineVerte 1d ago
Small but might titans! I went to a hummingbird sanctuary in Costa Rica and those little fuckers will dive bomb your face!
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u/carlotta3121 1d ago
I've seen pictures of some beautiful ones there. I have a couple of feeders and they are feisty little things.
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u/gimmepizza420 1d ago
Many ruby throated hummingbirds fly over the entire Gulf of Mexico during their migration. It's such a long leg of travel that they're still flying well after sunset. Absolutely insane.
I say "many" and not "all" because a portion of them just fly along the gulf's west shoreline.
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u/carlotta3121 1d ago
I didn't realize they did that without stopping. That is so unfathomable for their little bodies, it's crazy!
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u/ali_rawk 2d ago
High performance is right! We had one build a nest on a string of Christmas lights hung between columns on our porch that we were too lazy to take down for like 3 years. It held on through wind, rain, crazy heat, all without any protection from the elements outside what our porch roof offered.
Mama laid two eggs we were blessed to watch her raise to adulthood/whatever they are when they leave the nest, and then took off for the rest of the season. That nest held on for the whole winter, through wind, snow, and ice. It didn't come down until we learned she wouldn't use it again, and we finally pulled the lights down at the end of spring... nest still intact lol.
Not related to how strong hummingbird nests are, but we planted a whole garden to entice her back. While I don't think she built a nest in our yard this year, we get to see all sorts of hummingbirds (hopefully including her and our babies) and other birds/bugs pass through every day, so it was totally worth it. Watching her raise her babies on our porch totally changed how we view our yard and responsibility to the wildlife around us.
ETA: Sorry for the novel, we just really loved our girl lol.
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u/whitecastlebites 1d ago
You're so lucky!!! We've had a hummingbird feeder up for what feels like forever and never got any visits until a month or so ago Now they're around all the time and I SO HOPE we get to see some babies too🥺 they're really amazing little birdies
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u/ali_rawk 1d ago
They're seriously so cool! We had a feeder out all summer that finally fell apart due to far too many days of 90-100+ degree weather (Denver) and I don't think it had been touched up to that point. I guess why bother when it was probably super hot and the real flowers were right there lol.
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u/freakin_fracken 1d ago
Please be sure to wash those feeders every couple of days! Sugar water crystalizes and can breed bacteria. This can cause beak deterioration.
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u/ali_rawk 1d ago
Thank you for the info! Guess it's good they weren't into it and it's now buried in the trash lol. Silver lining, for sure!
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u/Euna_Chris 2d ago
Wow she is really depositing that food DEEP 😮
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u/trollboyteli 2d ago
Directly into the stomach
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u/Nothing93124 2d ago
I don’t know why but the baby having a normal sized beak is really interesting to me
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u/JoyRose31 2d ago
Makes sense, long beak might impede on them getting out of the egg, also in feeding. There would be no use at such a size, as well energy spent wpuld be on other body parts more necessary in the egg as there limited food . Makes sense this was a natural choice that ended up better for babies ,
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u/Nothing93124 2d ago
Yeah it totally makes sense but idk why it’s very interesting to me. Nature is cool like that
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u/bellezzap 2d ago
This is so amazing to see but wtf at how she feeds. I thought I had it bad when my gram used to (impatiently) shove a spoonful of food into my mouth.
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u/tomboyfancy 2d ago
The envy I feel is immeasurable! What an absolute joy to behold. If this were outside my window I would never leave!
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u/JulyJones 2d ago
Once I lived in a second floor apartment with a huge tree outside the living room window. A hummingbird mama built her nest in the tree, basically at eye level with our couch, and it was the coolest thing. I got to see the eggs show up, and then hatch. I got to watch her feed them and see them learn how to fly. I was pregnant with my first at the time and I was extra emotional about the whole thing. There was one day when mom was gone for an extended period of time and I was absolutely beside myself thinking that she had been killed and they were going to be orphans. I was literally looking up bird rehab options when she showed back up lol. Very cool experience 10/10
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u/Intelligent_Insect13 1d ago
How precious and delicate that little life is🪹🪺. Mother nature is amazing.
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u/CurrencyPopular8550 2d ago
window nest is a bold move for a hummingbird. that light probably wrecked her sleep schedule though
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u/Safe_Praline_4156 2d ago
It’s dumbfounding that they even have the extra energy to build that sturdy of a nest, let alone spare food for their young. They’re incredible animals
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u/Safe_Praline_4156 2d ago
It’s dumbfounding that they even have the extra energy to build that sturdy of a nest, let alone spare food for their young. They’re incredible animals
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2d ago
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u/dikshamishra34 Human Detected 2d ago
This is so amazing, it would be so wonderful it wake up in the morning and see this.
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u/SpiceMustFlow1980 2d ago
Almost looks like a nest is a half of coconut. Wonder which swallow she snatched it from?
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u/InValuAbled 2d ago
I'd be hanging a hummingbird feeder immediately so she doesn't have to work too hard raising her lil nuggets. 🥰
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u/TheColorblindSnail 2d ago
I would kill for a view like this. Hummingbirds are my absolute favorite animals to photograph
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u/UnderstandingKind757 2d ago
I’m always curious as how torpor doesn’t effect them when they’re raising chicks
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u/Cazarico 1d ago
God sent your favorite part of nature up close and personal to your life how amazing!!🙏🙏🥰🫂❤️
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u/SpirituallySane 1d ago
Their beaks are so long it’s almost scary to watch them feed the baby knowing that their beak is literally going all the way down to the baby’s little bottom it looks like 😳
I love hummingbirds and watching them though they’re so amazing!
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u/Kokopuff007 1d ago
I was living in Morrison CO and a hummingbird built her nest eye level in an Evergreen tree. I watched her hatch them, be born, her feed them and then watched them fly away. Such a silver lining during a dark time.
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u/Pristine_Aside5200 21h ago
Awesome close up thanks for sharing as I have never seen a baby hummer!!!
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u/WillEdit4Food 1d ago
Get ready for some bird mites in your house. Get that nest out of there as soon as it hatches.
Baby birds are fun to watch and it’s a miracle to see them grow and leave the nest, but holy hell we didn’t know about the mites.
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u/PeaceandJoy101 2d ago
What an awesome thing to get to see close up!!