Humming Bird babys ..!

[Labyrinth]

We feed the humming birds year round at our house.
Every year we have a pair of humming birds that nest in our yard. The nest they used last year got very trashed over the last 10 month so they built a new one 5 feet away from their old one . The nest is smaller than a golf ball. Here is a picture of their new babys.

[The Rebel]

Thats awesome! Great photography. Thanks for sharing.

[daddydigger]

Man, that is awesome! Thanks for sharing. I read that hummingbirds are always only 2 hours away from starving to death. Don't know if that's true or not.

[carcur]

very cool congrats on your new family

[VetStudent]

That's awesome, would you have happened to have gotten pictures of the eggs in the nest?

[Bonesquat]

Originally Posted by daddydigger

Man, that is awesome! Thanks for sharing. I read that hummingbirds are always only 2 hours away from starving to death. Don't know if that's true or not.

Makes sense considering their extreme physical lifestyle. I think they're always on the move. Those wings beat incredible fast. Imagine how much energy that takes....and how small they are. They can't hold much.

[searcher sully]

Really cool labyrinth. The area we live in is too cold for year round feeding but we do keep our feeders up once they return each year. It amazes me how they know where to return to each year as when the temps are eight, they start buzzing outside our window letting us know THEY"RE BACK!

[0z0ne]

Gracious! Soo amazing! Always wanted to find a hummingbird's nest

Very cute heh, thanks for sharing!!

[Labyrinth]

Originally Posted by VetStudent

That's awesome, would you have happened to have gotten pictures of the eggs in the nest?

WoW!!!... Thanks Everyone for all the replys
I missed the egg pictures. I should be able to get photos of their progress every 2 days or so. I will add new pictures to the thread as they grow up.
They do seem to get fed a lot. Last years babys were fed by Mom even after they left the nest. Maybe she will let me get close enough this year to photo a feeding.

[DIGGER27]

Very cool birds.

Lots of info, here...
http://www.worldofhummingbirds.com/index.php


Facts...

Hummingbird Facts

Here are some interesting hummingbird facts and general information about hummingbirds.



Hummingbirds are the tiniest birds in the world.


Hummingbirds can flash their bright colors, as well as hide them when needed.


The bright radiant color on hummingbirds comes from iridescent coloring like on a soap bubble or prism.


A Gorget is the bright flashing colored feathers of the hummingbird's neck.


A hummingbird's brain is 4.2% of its body weight, the largest proportion in the bird kingdom.


Hummingbirds are very smart and they can remember every flower they have been to, and how long it will take a flower to refill.


Hummingbirds can hear better than humans


Hummingbirds can see farther than humans.


Hummingbirds can see ultraviolet light.


Hummingbirds have no sense of smell.


A hummingbird will use its tongue to lap up nectar from flowers and feeders.


A hummingbird's tongue is grooved like the shape of a "W".


Hummingbirds have tiny hairs on the tip of the tongue to help lap up nectar.


A hummingbird's beak is generally shaped like any other bird beak, just longer in proportion to its body.


The edges of the hummingbird's top beak will overlap the edges of the hummingbird's bottom beak.


A hummingbird's bottom beak is slightly flexible.


Hummingbirds do not drink though their beaks like a straw. They lap up nectar with their tongues.


A hummingbird's heart beats up to 1,260 times per minute.


A Hummingbird's heart beats about 250 times per minute at rest.


A hummingbird's heart is 2.5% of the total body weight.


A hummingbird will take about 250 breaths per minute while at rest.


A hummingbird's metabolism is roughly 100 times that of an elephant.


Hummingbirds have very weak feet and can barely walk. They prefer to fly.


Hummingbirds like to perch.


Hummingbirds spend most of their life perching.


The hummingbird's body temperature is about 107 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius).


Hummingbirds are on average 8.5 centimeters long from the tip of the beak to the tip of the tail.


A hummingbird can weigh anywhere between 2 and 20 grams.


A penny weighs 2.5 grams


30% of a hummingbird's weight consists of flight muscles


Humans pectoral muscles are about 5% of body weight


Female hummingbirds are usually larger than male hummingbirds.


An average sized hummingbird will have about 940 feathers.


Females find iridescent feathers attractive.


Hummingbirds do not mate for life.


Male hummingbirds do not help raise the young.


Female hummingbirds do all the nest building.


A hummingbird baby is about the size of a penny.


Females will lay a clutch of two eggs.


Baby hummingbirds cannot fly.


Baby hummingbirds will remain in a nest for three (3) weeks.


Most hummingbirds die in the first year of life.


Hummingbirds have an average life span of about 5 years.


Hummingbirds can live for more than 10 years.


The oldest known hummingbird was a Broad-Tailed Hummingbird that was captured and tagged 12 years apart.


Male hummingbirds are very aggressive and will chase another male hummingbird out of its territory.


A hummingbird wings will beat about 70 times per second.


Hummingbird's wings will beat up to 200 times per second when diving.


Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly both forward and backwards.


Hummingbirds can also hover in mid-air, fly sideways and even upside-down.


A hummingbird can fly an average of 25-30 miles per hour.


A hummingbird can dive up to 60 miles per hour.


A hummingbird's wings will rotate in a full circle.


Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds have been known to travel 500 miles over the Gulf of Mexico to breeding grounds.


It is estimated that a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird takes about twenty (20) hours to fly across the Gulf of Mexico.


Some hummingbirds will travel over two-thousand (2,000) miles twice a year during migration times.


The Rufous Hummingbird travels the farthest north of any other hummingbird to migrate. All the way from Mexico to Alaska.


Hummingbird DO NOT migrate on the backs of geese.


Geese fly on different migration paths or fly-zones than hummingbirds do.


Hummingbirds need to eat on average 7 times per hour for about 30-60 seconds.


A hummingbird can eat anywhere from half (1/2) to eight (8) times its body weight a day.


A hummingbird will visit an average of 1,000 flowers per day for nectar.


Hummingbirds eat small soft bugs for protein.


A hummingbird will lap up nectar at a rate of about 13 licks per second.


Hummingbirds can double his/her weight before migration.


Hummingbirds will not get addicted to a hummingbird feeder filled with nectar. The hummingbirds will leave when they need to.


When hummingbirds sleep at night, they go into a hibernation-like state called torpor.


Hummingbirds enter torpor to conserve energy.


When a hummingbird goes into torpor, their metabolic rate is one-fifteenth (1/15) of normal sleep.


Torpor can save up to 60% of a hummingbird's available energy.


When in torpor, and hummingbirds heart rate can drop to as few as 50 beats per minute.


During torpor, a hummingbird can lower the body temperature to 30 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius)


When hummingbirds go into torpor, they will appear as if they are dead and have occasionally been found to be hanging upside-down.


It can take up to an hour for a hummingbird to fully recover from torpor.


Torpor can be fatal to a weak hummingbird.


Hummingbirds are only found naturally in the Americas.


Hummingbirds are found as far north as Alaska.


Hummingbirds are found as far south as Chile.


Hummingbirds are the second largest family of birds in the Western Hemisphere.


There are more than 300 types or species of hummingbirds.


Most of the types or species of hummingbirds are found in South America.


The county of Ecuador has the largest number of types or species of hummingbirds.


There are more than fifty (50) types or species of hummingbirds that breed in Mexico.


There are more than fifteen (15) types or species of hummingbirds that breed in the United States.


There are more than three (3) types or species of hummingbirds that breed in Canada.


Hummingbirds are all part of the Trochilidae family of birds.


Trochilidae is from the Greek trochilos, meaning small bird.


There are two sub-families of hummingbirds:


Typical hummingbirds

Hermit hummingbirds


Most hummingbird types or species do not migrate


The smallest hummingbird is the Bee Hummingbird.


The largest hummingbird is the Giant Hummingbird.


White hummingbirds (or albino hummingbirds) are not a separate hummingbird type or species. They are regular hummingbirds that never developed color in their plumage.


Hummingbirds don't really sing, they chirp.


A hummingbirds favorite color is red


Hummingbirds like tubular type flowers the most.


Hummingbirds pollinate flowers by rubbing their forehead and face in each flower as they get the nectar.


Many plants depend on hummingbirds for pollination.


Hummingbirds get their name from the humming sound produced by their wings when flying.


Early Spanish explorers called hummingbirds flying jewels.


Names for hummingbirds in other parts of the world include:


Beija-Flor: Portuguese for Flower-Kisser.

Chupaflor: Spanish for Flower-Sucker.

Joyas Voladoras: Spanish for Flying-Jewels.

Picaflor: Spanish for Flower-Nibbler.

El Zunzun: Caribbean for The Hummer.


Banded hummingbirds should be reported with the banding number to 1-800-327-BAND.

[grinsebring]

thats a lot of info for something that small. I have a question
It is estimated that a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird takes about twenty (20) hours to fly across the Gulf of Mexico. If they need to eat every two hours, do they pack a lunch?

We had HBs when we lived in New Hampshire. Here in Florida I have yet to see one. Putting out feeders a couple years ago only attracted ants. No matter how we hung them the ants figured a way to get to the nectar feed.

BTW, great pictures

[Metal DT]

Do you know what kind they are.We only get Ruby throaters here in the east.Great shots by the way

[zeemang]

Great pics! How many were there, it was kind of hard to tell...

[Labyrinth]

Originally Posted by Metal DT

Do you know what kind they are.We only get Ruby throaters here in the east.Great shots by the way

They are... Anna's Humming Birds .

[Labyrinth]

Originally Posted by zeemang

Great pics! How many were there, it was kind of hard to tell...

I took this photo this morning ,about 15 hours apart from the photo in the opening post. There are 2 babys in the nest. One has it's head at the top of the photo and the other has it's head at the bottom of the photo.
The pin feathers on the younger bird have grown out a lot over night.

[searcher sully]

That is one awesome camera when you take in the fact that you can see their poop so clearly and that the actual next is about the size of a golf ball. Do you get buzzed by mom when your in that close taking pictures? If not, she must really trust you. You should try and get a very bright red flower and hold it and see if she'll come feed on it while you're holding it. I've had them come and land on the feeder when I was haning it back up after filling it. They can become very trusting over time.

[coinMD64]

Please keep us posted with latest photos of those baby hummingbirds so we can see how they grow to full grown adults. I dont see many hummingbirds in my native state of Michigan. Yes they are very tiny and they had incredible fast wing beats!!!

[beertab]

Wow. That seems so early. My barn swallows havent even returned yet. Here in the Seattle area we have the Rufous Hummer. It is so amazing I have seen them here in the middle of winter.

[Labyrinth]

Mother Nature is so cruel some times. Yesterday around lunch time we had a low pressure system move in. The wind in the afternoon for several hours was 20 to 35 mph . Then the rain started which also lasted for several hours with more wind. Around 6 Pm I check the nest and the Mama bird was sitting on the nest. So I snaped a picture of her on the nest .
Late last night I loaded the picture to the computer. After looking at the picture for a few seconds.. I saw the babys on the side of the nest, and the Mama was on top of the nest. I then went outside with a flash light to check on them. The babys and Mama were still in the same spots.
With the wind and the rain the nest had spun around on the branch leaving the babies exposed and the Mama had no way to sit on them to protect them from the elements.
This morning I looked and the Mama has abandoned the nest, and the babies did not make it.
This is early in the year and from what I have read if the first batch of babies don't survive the Mama will do it all over again to have a another batch.

[silver49009]

I found this on the internet and wanted to share it with those of you who enjoy hummingbirds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUEZkwJulBY

Joe