colibrí
CELEBRATION!
What a relief! I was afraid I had done irreparable damage to the little jelly bean-sized eggs outside my window when I soaked the nest before I knew it was there; but we now have chicks, alive and well... and a very attentive mother. Hatching happened sometime between last Thursday and yesterday. The chicks are already filling almost all the space in the nest, so I’m guessing they are at least three days old.
It’s the miracle of birth that nature demonstrates in all species. How can it be possible that the chicks we have today, small but much larger than those tiny eggs, could have grown so much in such a short time? These baby hummingbirds will leave the nest in three weeks. The mother gets no help from the male. She even built the nest with no help from him. Maybe that’s why hummingbirds don’t mate for life.
She lets me get close enough to take pictures when she is sitting on the nest. Today when I got these pictures she tolerated me. Of course, as in all romantic relationships, I like to believe she likes me almost as much as I like her. I’ve noticed that when some other people walk past the nest, she flies away, and when I walk past she doesn’t. That’s enough for me.
Congratulations! So cool Grandpa Jerral.
ReplyDeleteJerral, you do have sex appeal you know!
ReplyDeleteI just love the way you write, Grandpa! It always sounds so beautiful because I hear your voice in my head saying the words when I read them :) the pictures are really pretty.
ReplyDeleteI have two birds that each have
ReplyDeletehelped build the nest, and seem
to do housecleaning. We think
babies are in there now. The
parent birds seem to fly
around in friendship too.
I guess some human males
behave more like humming
bird males and some are more
like my finches-- if that is what
they are.
I also like to think the various
birds and raccoons treat me
nicer than other people that
come onto our place.
The black crows do not
send up loud warning cries
at me-- well most of the time.
D. A.
How incredibly sweet! She loves you for sure !
ReplyDeleteH.M.
Too cool, thanks for sharing Jerral.
ReplyDeleteJoanne
Ain't nature grand!
ReplyDeleteBravo to both of you.
M.L.
Wonderful pics as always, but, special for me, because, I, like to think of Lucas as a hummingbird. Quick, happy and free of any pain. A very emotional day.
ReplyDeleteGracias amigo..