2000-1. The last nest of 1999 remained intact and the female chose to reuse it for her 2000-1 nest. With a little cleanup and repair the nest was ready to go. She was first seen trying out the nest on February 5th. Two days later sometime during the early morning, she laid her first egg. Three days later during the morning of February 10th, she laid the second egg. This is only the second time of the 17 nests that she has had the second egg three days apart. Usually, and almost invariably, the eggs are laid two days apart. The first egg hatched in the morning of February 24th, 17 days since being laid. The second egg hatched in the afternoon on February 25th, 15 days since being laid.
Both chicks the last few days had been actively preening their feathers and flapping their wings in preparation for leaving the nest. Such activity is always a prelude to fledging. The first chick fledged the nest the morning of March 20th. While eating breakfast on the morning of March 22nd, the second chick fledged. It was 6:45 am. To illustrate how quickly events can happen, the chick was in the nest one moment and after I got up from the table to get a cup of coffee and came back, the chick was gone. In the blink of an eye, the bird had left. I've been fortunate to witness the actual "liftoff" from a nest. It's quite a sight to see a chick flap its wings and leave the nest. In typical post-nest fashion, the mother hummer has separated the chicks to different bushes for safety reasons.
2000-2. While actively feeding both chicks, the female reused the first nest and laid her first egg for 2000-2 in the morning of March 31st. Prior to laying the egg she would perch herself in a bush or tree where she could keep an eye on her two chicks. Now she had to tend to eggs also. Two days later in the morning of April 2nd, she laid her second egg for 2000-2. She's a very busy mother.
The first chick of 2000-2 hatched in the morning of April 15th. Two days later on April 17th, the second chick hatched. It was a terribly windy week with sustained winds of 40-45 and gusts to 60 mph when the chick decided to fledge the nest. The first chick left on May 6th followed three days later by the second chick during the morning of May 9th. Although the lamp/nest is somewhat sheltered from the wind, the nest nevertheless was being buffeted around. What nasty days to leave the comfort of the nest but leave they did flying off to a nearby branch to experience the full force of the wind. I feared for their little lives but both survived and mother was seen feeding them for a couple weeks afterward.
2000-3. Again, while actively feeding both chicks from nest 2000-2, the female reused the same nest and laid her first egg for 2000-3 in the morning of May 18th sometime between 7-10 am. The second egg was laid also between 7-10 am on the morning of May 20th. The weather has turned hot here with temperatures up over 100 degrees.
The hatchings were overdue (2nd and 4th of June) and by the female was last seen attending the nest of June 10th. After assuring myself that the nest was abandoned, I retrieved the eggs. Both eggs showed no signs of embryo developing leading to the conclusion that the eggs did not get fertilized. It is very sad when nest fail, particularly when it's of such a delicate and wonderful creature as a hummingbird.
It's probably been too hot for her to attempt another nest this season. I've left the nest in place in hopes that it will be used again, or at least used to build another nest elsewhere. Hopefully, in to the other lamp.
Nesting Event 2000-1 DSL DSH 2000-2 DSL DSH 2000-3 DSL DSH 1st Egg Laid 7-Feb 31-Mar 18-May 2nd Egg Laid 10-Feb 2-Apr 20-May 1st Egg Hatched 24-Feb 17 15-Apr 15 * * Eggs Failed to Hatch 2nd Egg Hatched 25-Feb 15 17-Apr 15 * * Nest Abandoned 6/10/2000 1st Chick Fledged 20-Mar 42 25 6-May 36 20 * * * 2nd Chick Fledged 22-Mar 41 26 9-May 37 21 * * * DSL - Days Since Laid DSH - Days Since Hatched
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Rick Hallowell