Tag: hummingbird

Hummingbird Nest in the Patio

For the third year and second time this summer a Broad-billed Hummingbird raised a new batch of hummingbirds in a re-used nest in my patio. Both the first clutch and the second (seen below) from this summer had two eggs, but only one from each clutch was viable and successfully fledged.

Female Broad-billed Hummingbird. Copyright: Greg Joder.

Here’s a photo of the two nestlings from last summer’s clutch:

A female Broad-billed hummingbird feeding her two nestlings. Copyright: Greg Joder.

Here’s a male Broad-billed hummingbird I photographed at one of my feeders, fully displaying his sexual dimorphism.

Male Broad-billed hummingbird at a feeder in Tucson, Arizona. Copyright: Greg Joder.

Finally, here’s a video of the female feeding her one nestling from the last clutch of this summer:

Costa Rica on a Whim

The New Year brought me to Costa Rica for a short reboot. Hoping to start 2019 on a clear and heart-felt path. While most of my adventures have to do with nature, conservation and wildlife, this trip is focused on health and well-being. However, that hasn’t stopped my curiosity and desire to explore the natural world around me. Granted, I know very little about Costa Rican biodiversity, so the photos below have only the simplest of descriptions.

A few orchids:

A few insects:

I did not have my good DSLR, so the few bird photos I’ve taken so far are not that great:

Red passion flower. Copyright: Greg Joder.

 

 

 

Hummingbird Nest in the Patio

This little Broad-billed Hummingbird is likely the same one that built a nest in my patio last summer. Either way, she was able to successfully fledge two youngsters. There were plenty of hanging-plant options on which to build her nest, but she chose the green hook.

During her time incubating the eggs and feeding the nestlings the temperature in the patio was between 100 and 111 degrees (38 to 44 c.).  She had her work cut out for her.

Here she is incubating her eggs:

Here she is feeding her kids a few days before they fledged:

Hummingbird Nest Update

The little hummingbird continues to incubate her two eggs.  Based on information I’ve read the incubation period is nearing its end and soon her offspring will hatch.  In the meantime, she patiently sits and waits for her kids to crack open their eggs and begin begging for food.

Broad-billed Hummingbird on Nest. Copyright: Greg Joder.

Hummingbird Nest Update

The little female Broad-billed Hummingbird continues to incubate her two eggs. She also performs a lot of nest maintenance each day, adding more material or adjusting what she already has.  In order to capture still images of her I set up my DSLR on a tripod with telephoto and on time-lapse, shooting one photo every minute.  Here are three of the best captures:

It’s hot out! Copyright: Greg Joder.
Nest material. Copyright: Greg Joder
Hunkered down. Copyright: Greg Joder.

more nest building and first egg!

Yesterday the little hummingbird continued working hard building her nest.  She’s using small twigs, leaves, grass seeds and spider silk among other things.  Both of the following videos are best viewed in HD and full screen.  Here’s yesterdays action:

And here is today’s action.  More nest building and her first egg:

I have been keeping a small jar with fur from my dog Ham (now in doggy heaven). This morning I decided to attach some of her fur to a piece of wire and hang it in the flight path of the nesting hummingbird. Sure enough, she found it and started using it in her nest:

Hummingbird Nest Progress

About a week ago I noticed a hummingbird landing on and placing random bits of plants on a hanging vine in my patio.  It was so random I didn’t bother setting up the camera.  I figured it was too late in the season for nesting.  However, during the last few days I realized the female hummingbird was actually making a nest.  So I finally set up the video camera to record her progress.  I think she is a broad-tailed hummingbird.  What do you think?  More to come: