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Anna's Hummingbird (Nesting)

Calypte anna

Description:

This green hummingbird has a red patch on the throat. It was building a new nest. This series shows it with material in its mouth (unknown fluff and lichen) as well as taking a quick rest. "Anna’s hummingbird females build a mere platform as early as December to lay her eggs. Then she builds up the nest while incubating." - Hal Harrison

Habitat:

Oak scrub bush along trail at Blue Sky Ecological Reserve

Notes:

"The female bird builds a large nest in a shrub or tree, or in vines or on wires. The round, 3.8-to-5.1-centimetre (1.5 to 2.0 in) diameter nest is built of very small twigs, lichen and other mosses, and often lined with downy feathers or animal hair. The nest materials are bound together with spider silk or other sticky materials. They are known to nest early as mid-December and as late as June." - Wikipedia

1 Species ID Suggestions

DonnaPomeroy
DonnaPomeroy 12 years ago
Anna's Hummingbird
Calypte anna Anna's Hummingbird


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18 Comments

CindyBinghamKeiser
CindyBinghamKeiser 12 years ago

That's interesting, I didn't know that!

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 12 years ago

So well it's not like the Blackbirds then. We have lots of male blackbirds here. Some spotters from Florida have a concentration on female. i just read a report which said that the female and male migrate at different times.

CindyBinghamKeiser
CindyBinghamKeiser 12 years ago

They're quite active down here too! I already have both male and female spottings of this species but I couldn't resist the spottings on the nest!

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 12 years ago

Cindy,both your spottings are females! Bring your camera here. We have so many male Annas perched right on top of trees making there grinding Chiang sounds!

CindyBinghamKeiser
CindyBinghamKeiser 12 years ago

Hi Leuba, part two is at http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/895.... It's from a different area but it's the same species.

Leuba Ridgway
Leuba Ridgway 12 years ago

great spotting - so lucky !! will wait for part 2...

CindyBinghamKeiser
CindyBinghamKeiser 12 years ago

It was total luck on this one. There's no way I would have seen this nest if I hadn't seen the hummingbird fly into the bush. My other hummingbird on a nest spotting was much easier since I saw the nest on bare branches before the leaves came in. I just went back a week later and saw a bird was occupying it.

Atul
Atul 12 years ago

i wish i could spot one of those i am so jealous !! :-)
lovely spotting!

CindyBinghamKeiser
CindyBinghamKeiser 12 years ago

Thank you! Yes it was difficult to shoot with the bad lighting and I had to balance up on an embankment but well worth it.

Gerardo Aizpuru
Gerardo Aizpuru 12 years ago

Wow amazing series

DavidMroczkowski
DavidMroczkowski 12 years ago

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!

Lee Macklin
Lee Macklin 12 years ago

Tough picture to get

CindyBinghamKeiser
CindyBinghamKeiser 12 years ago

Hi Alice, I sure will!

alicelongmartin
alicelongmartin 12 years ago

How lucky to see the construction of a nest, now you can wait and watch the birth of the little ones. Keep us updated please!

CindyBinghamKeiser
CindyBinghamKeiser 12 years ago

Thank you Christy!

ChristyHolland
ChristyHolland 12 years ago

So neat!! Great shots!

CindyBinghamKeiser
CindyBinghamKeiser 12 years ago

Thank you Argybee and thanks for the ID Donna!

Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway 12 years ago

You are so lucky to have all those hummingbirds there. Nice set of pics CBK.

Poway, California, USA

Spotted on Feb 9, 2012
Submitted on Feb 9, 2012

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