We have house guests! Actually, we have Eucryphia guests. For weeks a hummingbird has been my constant companion in the back garden, flitting around, torturing the long-suffering cat and acting very comfortable in our presence. We must have passed muster because about a week ago we noticed this nest built on a limb of our Eucryphia. She was considerate enough to build her 1 1/2 inch nest right outside our bedroom window.
Delicately constructed of spiderwebs, leaves and moss, the tiny “nursery” is a marvel in and of itself. The nest will actually stretch and expand as the young birds grow. Wikipedia tells me that hummers lay 2 white eggs about the size of a jelly bean- the smallest of all bird eggs. Incubation is roughly 18-19 days and the baby birds are born completely naked. Over the next 3 weeks or so the young birds put on feathers and mature. “Mom” will leave the nest for only a few minutes each hour to forage a mix of insects and nectar for her young, gradually building to more and more time away as the birds mature and their feeding needs increase. Hummingbirds are single mothers, taking care of nesting, incubation feeding and fledging all on their own.
My husband is fascinated with the entire process and keeps me appraised of the day’s events when I can’t be home myself. Truth be told, it’s pretty fun to see his enthusiasm. This is a guy who only likes to weed because he gets to play with a propane torch and generally considers cleaning the garage with the door open to be akin to working in the garden. I might have known this tiny process would capture his interest as he’s an amazing father; clearly free of hummingbirds in his gene pool.
Me…? Well, I like hummingbirds. But not in a puffy-paint sweatshirt, matching stationary, decal, light-catcher, knicknacky sort of way. The following is an entry about hummingbirds from my first book, Hortus Miscellaneous:
One of the most beloved birds, the hummingbird is romanticized and fawned over by gardeners and nongardeners alike. In fact these birds are greedy, highly competitive, power mongering, territorial fascists keenly intent on identifying a territory and protecting it from all incursions, human or otherwise, at any cost.
I’m not unconvinced my little friend wouldn’t peck my eyes out if she thought I was getting too close to her brood! So I’ll just mind my own business and the garden and quietly watch the show from safely on the other side of the glass indoors.
Plants to attract hummingbirds: Beardtongue, bee balm, butterfly bush, catmint, clove pink, columbine, coral bells, cypress vine, daylily, desert candle, flag iris, flowering tobacco, foxglove, fuchsia, hollyhock, honeysuckle vine, larkspur, lily, lovelia, lupine, monkey flower, petunia, pincushion flower, red-hot poker, scarlet runner bean, scarlet sage, soapwort, summer phlox, trumpet creeper vine, verbena, weigela. (Note: Whenever possible select varieties whose blooms appear in shades of red and orange.)
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What a treat! Thanks for sharing…
I loved your “puffy-paint sweatshirt, matching stationary, decal, light-catcher, knicknacky sort of way” description of how some people demonstrate their affection for hummingbirds! This is so true, and such a disservice to these amazing little wonders. Actually, puffy-paint sweatshirts are a disservice to pretty much everything… Keep us posted on the progress of your little avian family!
I’m a parent…they hatched! Two tiny little beaks show above the top edge of the nest and we can just barely make out their quivering little bodies. I feel so protective. Gotta go chase away the crows – thanks! L