Goodbye my lovely little friends, and good luck with everything!
I've been watching a mama Anna's hummingbird raising her two babies in their cozy (and well-constructed!) one-bedroom nest in the Deodar Cedar between my house and the neighbors'. I tried several times to get pictures of feeding time, but the mama didn't want me hanging around. I suspect that, seeing a big dumb human standing under the branch, she didn't exactly want to advertise the nest's location. I'd stand there with the camera listening to her buzzing and chirping all around, but she'd only very quickly sneak in and dispense a snack or two and then disappear. And I wouldn't try for too long, because my little friends are entitled to an undisturbed meal.
When I went out the other evening, the nest was empty. Apparently the little ones have packed up and gone to college. I wish them well, and I hope to see them around the yard again, though I won't know it's them.
How lucky I was to get to see them grow up. Their nest is a complete marvel. It's barely larger than a golf ball and barely visible--my sharp-eyed and always-alert neighbor had to point it out to me. Also, you'll notice it doesn't rest on top of a branch, but rather seems to be attached at an angle. My knowledgeable neighbor informs me that hummingbirds do this by raiding spiderwebs and using the sticky material to affix the nest to the branch. Pretty clever there, Mrs. Hummy, and it turned out great! Here are the lovely little ones and some glimpses of snack time:
