Page 9 - Discover SPRING 2022

Humming Along

with Nature

By Kate Hofstetter

One of the most delightful creatures you will ever lichen. She molds the nest with the shape of her own
encounter on this earth is a hummingbird. What a body. The finished nest is deeper but not much larger
thrill to be in your garden and see these miniature in circumference than half of an empty walnut shell.
specimens of God's handiwork flitting from blossom The sides of the nest will be thicker on the windward
to blossom looking every bit like a fairy from the side and the camouflage will be darker where the
pages of a child's book. nest is shadowed and lighter where it is exposed to
sunlight. The nest is spongy and actually stretches
If you have on a bright colored hat, she might come
as the chicks grow. Such clever little architects and
within inches of your face to satisfy her curiosity of
builders!
whether you are a giant flower. Turn your eyes toward
her and she'll fly backward, then left, then right with Once she has bred the female is pretty much on
ease and grace and in the twinkling of an eye; flight her own. While it is suspected that the male does
patterns no other bird can mimic. Also, few birds are allow the female he bred with to forage for food in
as bold around humans as hummers. his territory (at least during the time she is nesting
and feeding her chicks) it appears his only other
If you want to attract the early hummingbirds that
contribution to preserving the species is his sperm.
will soon be arriving here from Mexico and Central
Along with building the nest herself, the female
America, make sure you have your feeder up by the
lays and hatches the eggs and is solely responsible
end of March or the first of April. The males arrive
for feeding her chicks. It is believed by bird experts
first, presumable to stake out their feeding territory.
that she prefers it that way – you'd have to be a
You'll know it's a male by his black hood and ruby-red
hummingbird to know for sure but perhaps they're
throat which sports a narrow, white collar. The feathers
right. She wants Dad gone, they theorize, because
on his back and shoulders flash emerald green in
his bright colors would give away the location of her
sunlight.
nest and attract predators. Or, maybe she rejects him
because he's just a promiscuous, no-good cad. A
Hummingbirds come north to breed as they
male hummingbird will mate with several females
need temperatures below 96 degrees so their eggs
in a single season. Since there are considerably more
and baby chicks won't bake in the nest. This is why
female hummingbirds than males, this system seems
higher elevations are popular nesting areas. They also
to work, especially, one imagines, for the males.
like to be near water and have a shaded shelter. The
temperature under a leaf is about 6 degrees cooler than
Like most other female birds, female hummers
in open areas. Wind and cold are other environmental
are drab in color. Her emerald green back is the most
threats to these tiny birds.
colorful thing about the female. Typically, she lays
two white eggs, about the size of navy beans, which
A hummer's nest, which is always built by the
will incubate in 16 to 18 days, longer in cool weather.
female, is a work of art. Its foundation is spider webs
Once both eggs have been laid, she will sit on them
because they are sticky and help anchor the nest to
for 50 to 55 minutes out of every hour. Like most
a branch as well as holding the sides together. Next,
wild birds, her eggs won't begin to incubate until she
Mom lays down a layer of moss or leaf hairs or
sits on them. When the chicks hatch they will be
plant fuzz. Then she brings in more spider webs. The
about 3/4 inch long and “naked” with short beaks. It
finishing touch is a camouflage layer of greenish-gray
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